C# minor chord on piano

The C#m piano chord (C# minor, also written Db minor) is three notes: C♯, E and G♯. Start on C♯, count three half steps up to E, then four more to G♯.

  • C♯root, 1
  • Eminor 3rd, ♭3
  • G♯perfect 5th, 5
E3C♯1G♯5

Fingers are numbered from the thumb, 1, to the little finger, 5. Right hand 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1.

How to play C# minor on piano

  1. Find C♯, the first black key of a group of two.
  2. Put your right thumb (finger 1) on C♯.
  3. Count three half steps up, black and white keys alike, to E. Rest your middle finger (3) there.
  4. Count four more half steps to G♯ for your little finger (5).
  5. Press all three keys together.
  6. For the left hand, play the same keys with fingers 5, 3 and 1, or play C♯ an octave lower with your little finger.

Inversions

  1. E3C♯1G♯5

    Root position

    C♯, E, G♯

    Right hand 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1.

  2. E1G♯2C♯5

    1st inversion

    E, G♯, C♯

    Right hand 1, 2, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1.

  3. E5G♯1C♯3

    2nd inversion

    G♯, C♯, E

    Right hand 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 2, 1.

Practice C# minor

Hold each position of C♯ minor for four beats, then move to the next: root position, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion, and round again. Start at 60 beats a minute and move up toward 100 once every change lands on the beat.

EC♯G♯
  1. Root positionC♯–E–G♯
  2. 1st inversionE–G♯–C♯
  3. 2nd inversionG♯–C♯–E

The shape of C# minor

C# minor is black, white, black: E is the only white key. F# minor and G# minor have the same pattern.

C# minor is built from the C♯ natural minor scale: take its 1st, 3rd and 5th notes, skipping every other note.

  1. C♯1
  2. D♯2
  3. E3
  4. F♯4
  5. G♯5
  6. A6
  7. B7

Smooth changes from C# minor

Jumping from one root position chord to the next moves the whole hand. The right inversion keeps shared notes still and moves the others the shortest way. Below are the chords built on the 4th and 5th notes of C# minor's own key: F#m and G#.

  • AC♯F♯

    From C#m to F#m, play F#m in 2nd inversion (C♯–F♯–A): C♯ stays, E moves up two half steps to F♯ and G♯ moves up a half step to A.

  • B♯D♯G♯

    From C#m to G#, play G# in 1st inversion (B♯–D♯–G♯): C♯ moves down a half step to B♯ (the white key usually called C), E moves down a half step to D♯ and G♯ stays.

C# minor on the staff and on guitar

♯♯
On the treble staff, C♯ sits on a ledger line below the staff, E on the bottom line and G♯ on the second line.
4fr×13421C♯G♯C♯EG♯
Am shape, 4th fretFrets, low E to high E: x 4 6 6 5 4
9fr134111C♯G♯C♯EG♯C♯
Em shape, 9th fretFrets, low E to high E: 9 11 11 9 9 9

Keys with C# minor in them

  • E majorviE, F♯m, G♯m, A, B, C♯m, D♯dim
  • A majoriiiA, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m, G♯dim
  • B majoriiB, C♯m, D♯m, E, F♯, G♯m, A♯dim
  • C♯ minoriC♯m, D♯dim, E, F♯m, G♯m, A, B
  • F♯ minorvF♯m, G♯dim, A, Bm, C♯m, D, E
  • G♯ minorivG♯m, A♯dim, B, C♯m, D♯m, E, F♯

Progressions that use it

  • i–VI–III–VII, in C♯ minor

    1. iC♯m
    2. VIA
    3. IIIE
    4. VIIB

  • i–iv–v, in C♯ minor

    1. iC♯m
    2. ivF♯m
    3. vG♯m

  • i–VII–VI–V (Andalusian cadence), in C♯ minor

    1. iC♯m
    2. VIIB
    3. VIA
    4. VG♯

  • iiø7–V7–i, in C♯ minor

    1. iiø7D♯m7♭5
    2. V7G♯7
    3. iC♯m

Related chords

Hearing a chord you can't name? Press its keys in the chord identifier.

Save or print the C# minor chord chart

C# minor chord on piano keyboard, notes C♯ E G♯
Download the C# minor chord chart (PNG). Free to print and share. For every chord on one page, see the piano chord chart.

Practice notes for C# minor

C♯ minor is black, white, black: C♯ and G♯ are black keys, and E is the white key between them. It is the same shape as F♯ minor and G♯ minor.

Where it goes wrong. The thumb on C♯ slipping off. C♯ is the first black key of the group of two, and with the hand at the front of the keys the thumb only catches its edge. Move the hand forward so all three fingers sit comfortably, with the middle finger reaching back to the white E.

How to practice it. Play C♯ minor, then D♭ minor, which is the same three keys spelled D♭, F♭, A♭. You will see C♯ minor far more often, since it is the relative minor of E major. Then practice the change to F♯ minor in 2nd inversion (C♯–F♯–A): the thumb stays on C♯.

What to listen for. E is the minor third. Raise it to E♯, the white key usually called F, and you have C♯ major. Listen to how much brighter the chord becomes with that one half step.

What to learn next. F♯ minor and G♯ major, the iv and V chords in C♯ minor, and E major, its relative major.

Questions

What notes are in a C# minor chord?

C♯, E and G♯. C♯ is the root, E is a minor 3rd above it and G♯ is a perfect 5th above it.

How is C# minor different from C# major?

Only the middle note changes. C# major raises E a half step to E♯; the other two notes stay.

Is C# minor the same as Db minor?

Yes. On the piano they are the same three keys. C# minor is spelled C♯, E and G♯; Db minor is spelled D♭, F♭ and A♭. Which name a piece uses depends on its key signature.

What does C#m mean?

The small m means minor: C♯m is C# minor, C♯, E and G♯. You may also see it written C♯min or C♯−.