The Key of C♯ Major for Guitar
The key of C♯ major has the notes C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯, 7 sharps (F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯), and its relative minor is A♯ minor.
- Chords
- C♯ D♯m E♯m F♯ G♯ A♯m B♯dim
- Main three
- C♯ F♯ G♯
- Key signature of C♯ major
- 7 sharps (F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯)
Chords in the key
Chords in C♯ major · moved from C♯ major · · tap to hear1 home chord of the key
35 on the 3rd and 5th
2 other degrees
Now sounding
Key · Capo
Showing: C♯ major (page key)No capo: you play C♯ major shapes as written.
Fretboard · C♯ major scale
Tap a dot to hear it; it lights amber while it sounds. Brightest dot = 1, the root (C♯). Lighter grey = 3 and 5. High e on top, frets 0 to 12, no capo. Swipe the board sideways for frets 7 to 12.
Progression · I–V–vi–IV
Stopped. Four beats per chord, strum D D U D.
Chords in C♯ major, with notes
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | C♯ | C♯ E♯ G♯ |
| ii | D♯m | D♯ F♯ A♯ |
| iii | E♯m | E♯ G♯ B♯ |
| IV | F♯ | F♯ A♯ C♯ |
| V | G♯ | G♯ B♯ D♯ |
| vi | A♯m | A♯ C♯ E♯ |
| vii° | B♯dim | B♯ D♯ F♯ |
Seventh chords in C♯ major
Add the next scale note a third above each triad and you get the four-note seventh chords of the key.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | C♯maj7 | C♯ E♯ G♯ B♯ |
| ii7 | D♯m7 | D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯ |
| iii7 | E♯m7 | E♯ G♯ B♯ D♯ |
| IVmaj7 | F♯maj7 | F♯ A♯ C♯ E♯ |
| V7 | G♯7 | G♯ B♯ D♯ F♯ |
| vi7 | A♯m7 | A♯ C♯ E♯ G♯ |
| viiø7 | B♯m7♭5 | B♯ D♯ F♯ A♯ |
Shapes and voicings for every chord: chord directory.
Why C♯ major has 7 sharps (F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯)
Every major scale uses the same step pattern: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. Start that pattern on C♯ and the notes land on C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯, so the key needs F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯ and B♯. On one string a whole step is two frets and a half step is one fret, up to the octave at fret 12.
C♯ major scale in first position
Every note of C♯ major in frets 0 to 4. Play one finger per fret: fret 1 = finger 1, fret 2 = finger 2, fret 3 = finger 3, fret 4 = finger 4, open strings need no finger. Start on the lowest root, C♯ on the 5th string, fret 4, and play up string by string.
Tap a dot to hear it. High e on top; the brightest dot is the root.
Past fret 4: C♯ major scale in every position up the neck, with play-along and a root drone. Pentatonic, blues and the modes work over these chords too: see all guitar scales.
Playing in C♯ on guitar
C♯ major is the key where every note is sharp: C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯. E♯ sits on the F fret and B♯ on the C fret; the letters stay in order so each one appears once. None of the six open strings is in the scale, so every chord is fretted.
It sounds exactly like D♭ major, which needs only five flats, so D♭ is the spelling seen more often. C♯ major is still one of the fifteen major key signatures, and scale books and theory exams cover it.
On the guitar the simple answer is a capo on fret 1: C, Dm, Em, F, G and Am shapes then sound as C♯, D♯m, E♯m, F♯, G♯ and A♯m. Without a capo, C♯ is the A-shape barre at fret 4 and G♯ the E-shape barre at fret 4.
Same sounds, other spelling: The key of D♭ major (5 flats (B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭)).
Common progressions in C♯ major
| Degrees | Chords | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| I–V–vi–IV | C♯ G♯ A♯m F♯ | C♯ G♯ A♯m F♯: the four-chord loop, which is C G Am F with the capo on fret 1. |
| I–IV–V–I | C♯ F♯ G♯ C♯ | C♯ F♯ G♯ C♯: three barre chords without a capo; C F G with capo 1. |
| I–vi–IV–V | C♯ A♯m F♯ G♯ | C♯ A♯m F♯ G♯: the 1950s loop; capo 1 and the C Am F G shapes. |
| vi–IV–I–V | A♯m F♯ C♯ G♯ | A♯m F♯ C♯ G♯: the loop from the relative minor, A♯ minor. |
Pick one in the player above and press Play to strum along, four beats per chord.
Capo and C♯ major
Capo 1 with C shapes is the easiest way to play in C♯. Capo 4 with A shapes and capo 6 with G shapes also sound in C♯ and put the chords higher on the neck.
| Capo | C♯ shapes sound in |
|---|---|
| Fret 1 | D major |
| Fret 2 | E♭ major |
| Fret 3 | E major |
| Fret 4 | F major |
| Fret 5 | F♯ major |
| Fret 6 | G major |
| Fret 7 | A♭ major |
Song in another key? Capo for C♯ major songs: the capo fret and easier shapes, or any other key.
New to the capo? How to use a capo: where to clamp it and why the same shapes sound in a new key.
Relative minor: A♯ minor
A♯ minor uses the same seven notes, starting on A♯, the 6th note of the scale. Its chord is the vi in the row above. Songs often move between the two keys without changing a single chord shape.
Have a recording and no idea what key it is in? Find the key of a song from the audio file or by letting it listen; it also gives the chords to play and the easiest capo.
Related keys
- The key of A♯ minorrelative
- The key of C♯ minorparallel
- The key of F♯ majorcircle, one step left
- The key of A♭ majorcircle, one step right
See how every key connects: interactive circle of fifths.
FAQ about C♯ major
What chords are in the key of C sharp major?
C♯, D♯m, E♯m, F♯, G♯, A♯m and B♯dim. C♯ (I), F♯ (IV) and G♯ (V) are the main three; E♯m is played where Fm is.
Why does C sharp major have seven sharps?
Start the major step pattern on C♯ and every letter, C through B, has to be raised: C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯. It is the last sharp key on the circle of fifths.
Is C sharp major the same as D flat major?
Yes, in sound: the same frets, the same chords. D♭ major is written with five flats instead of seven sharps, so it is the more common spelling.
What is the easiest way to play in C sharp major on guitar?
Put a capo on fret 1 and play in C. Every C-key shape sounds one semitone higher, which is C♯.
Next steps in C♯ major
- Progressions in C♯ majorgenerate, hear and loop chord progressions in this key
- C♯ major pentatonicfive notes for melodies and fills
- Guitar tunertune up before you play along