C♯ minor (C♯m)

Also called D♭ minor (D♭m).

A minor chord: root, minor third and fifth. Darker than a major chord.

There’s no open shape: it’s played as a barre chord, starting at the 4th fret. It’s the home chord of the key of C♯ minor; in major keys, you’ll find it in E major, B major and A major.

Notes:: C♯, E, G♯.
Formula:: 1, ♭3, 5.
Difficulty:: Intermediate.
Strings played:: 5 (from the A string).

Chord diagram

e|--4--|
B|--5--|
G|--6--|
D|--6--|
A|--4--|
E|--x--|

Other positions

e|--9---|
B|--9---|
G|--9---|
D|--11--|
A|--11--|
E|--9---|

Capo tip: put the capo at the 4th fret and play the A minor shape: you hear C♯ minor, with no barre.The capo

Often played with

The chords in its key, the ones you hear most often around C♯ minor.

e|--2--|
B|--2--|
G|--2--|
D|--4--|
A|--4--|
E|--2--|

F♯ minoriv

e|--4--|
B|--4--|
G|--4--|
D|--6--|
A|--6--|
E|--4--|

G♯ minorv

e|--0--|
B|--2--|
G|--2--|
D|--2--|
A|--0--|
E|--x--|

A major♭VI

e|--2--|
B|--4--|
G|--4--|
D|--4--|
A|--2--|
E|--x--|

B major♭VII