Chords in every key · 4 sharps
Chords in the key of C♯ minor
The seven chords in C♯ minor are C♯m, D♯°, E, F♯m, G♯m, A and B. C♯ minor has four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯.
The seven chords
Play the chords of C♯ minor
Tap a chord to hear it. The A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. is its place in the key; the colour is its job: home, moving away, or pulling back home.
On guitar, E and A have A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.; the rest are A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck..
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Key signature and scale
The C♯ minor scale
C♯ minor has four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯.
- C♯1
- D♯2
- E♭3
- F♯4
- G♯5
- A♭6
- B♭7
- C♯, the tonic
- Other scale notes
Progressions
Common chord progressions in C♯ minor
The same patterns of A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. turn up in thousands of songs. Here they are in this key, ready to play.
Minor pop
i – VI – III – VII
- C♯m
- A
- E
- B
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Minor pop in every keyAndalusian cadence
i – VII – VI – V
- C♯m
- B
- A
- G♯
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Andalusian cadence in every keyMinor ii–V–i
iiø7 – V7 – i7
- D♯m7♭5
- G♯7
- C♯m7
Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.
Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves
Minor ii–V–i in every key
Related keys
Keys close to C♯ minor
Keys that share most of their notes sound natural side by side, which is why songs so often move between them.
- Relative major: same notesE majorE, F♯m, G♯m, A, B, C♯m and D♯°
- Parallel major: same tonicC♯ majorC♯, D♯m, E♯m, F♯, G♯, A♯m and B♯°
- One step anticlockwiseF♯ minorF♯m, G♯°, A, Bm, C♯m, D and E
- One step clockwiseG♯ minorG♯m, A♯°, B, C♯m, D♯m, E and F♯
Capo
Play C♯ minor with a capo
C♯ minor's main chords are C♯m, F♯m, G♯m and A. With the A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 4, play them as Am, Dm, Em and F: three of the four are A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em..
Questions
C♯ minor, in short
- What chords are in the key of C♯ minor?
- The seven chords in C♯ minor are C♯m, D♯°, E, F♯m, G♯m, A and B. C♯ minor has four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯.
- What is the relative major of C♯ minor?
- E major. It uses the same seven notes and the same The sharps or flats written at the start of each line of music, telling you which notes the key changes. as C♯ minor, so the two keys share all their chords.
- How many sharps are in C♯ minor?
- C♯ minor has four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯.
- Which keys are next to C♯ minor on the circle of fifths?
- F♯ minor (one step anticlockwise) and G♯ minor (one step clockwise). Their chords overlap most with C♯ minor's, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.