C#m C# minor chord
- Notes
- C# E G#
- Formula
- 1 b3 5
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 above the root
- Also written
- Dbm (Db Fb Ab)
- Other symbols
- C#min, C#−
C# to E is a minor third (3 semitones), E to G# is a major third (4 semitones). It differs from C# major by one note: the third, E, is a half step lower than in C# major.
C#m on the piano
Root position from C#4: C#4, E4, G#4. Middle C is C4.
C#m on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has C# as its lowest note.
x 4 6 6 5 4 (low E to high e)
Sounds C#3 G#3 C#4 E4 G#4
9 11 11 9 9 9 (low E to high e)
Sounds C#3 G#3 C#4 E4 G#4 C#5
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play minor chords on other roots.
Inversions of C#m
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | C# E G# | C#m | |
| 1st inversion | E G# C# | C#m/E | |
| 2nd inversion | G# C# E | C#m/G# |
Where C#m fits
C#m is ii in B major, iii in A major, vi in E major, i in C# minor, iv in G# minor, v in F# minor.