About the C♯ major chord
The major chord is the brightest and most common chord there is. It is built from the root, a major third and a perfect fifth, and most songs in a major key start and finish on it. (also written D♭)
How to play C♯
- Lay your index finger flat across the top 3 strings at fret 1, pressing just behind the fret.
- Put your middle finger on the B string at fret 2.
- Put your ring finger on the D string at fret 3.
- Put your little finger on the A string at fret 4.
- Strum and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of C♯ major
These are the chords built on each note of the C♯ major scale, so they all sound good together with C♯. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other C♯ chords
C♯ chord questions
What notes are in a C♯ major chord?
C♯ major is made of C♯, E♯ and G♯. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5 above the root, C♯.
What is the easiest way to play C♯?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 4 3 1 2 1 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. It uses a barre, so if that is hard at first, try one of the other shapes.
Is C♯ a barre chord?
The main shape uses a barre, where one finger holds down several strings at once. Press just behind the fret and roll the finger slightly onto its side.