C#5 Guitar Chord

C#5 is the C sharp power chord. It has two notes: C sharp and G sharp. There is no third, so it is neither major nor minor, and the usual shape puts the root on the A string at the 4th fret.

4fr134×C♯G♯C♯××

Root on the A string at the 4th fret, the fifth on the D above it and the root again on the G. Movable: slide this grip anywhere and it is still a power chord.

How to play C#5, step by step

  1. Index finger: 4th fret, A string
  2. Ring finger: 6th fret, D string
  3. Pinky finger: 6th fret, G string
  4. Strum only the A and D and G strings, and stop the downstroke at the G.

This is the same grip as C5 one fret higher. Nothing changes but the position, which is the whole advantage of power chords.

More ways to play C#5

There are 4 common C#5 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Two strings, root on the A
C#5 guitar chord diagram, two strings, root on the a, played x46xxx

Leaner than the three string version and quicker to move. Under distortion the missing octave is barely noticeable.

Root on the low E
C#5 guitar chord diagram, root on the low e, played 9 11 11 x x x

Thick and solid, with the doubled root filling it out. This is the sound of a rock rhythm part.

Two strings, root on the low E
C#5 guitar chord diagram, two strings, root on the low e, played 9 11 x x x x

Leaner than the three string version and quicker to move. Under distortion the missing octave is barely noticeable.

If unwanted strings sound

The low E rings
It sits under the root and muddies the chord. Mute it with the index fingertip or the fretting thumb.
The top strings ring
The chord is three strings wide. Rest a finger against the B string and stop the strum at the G.
The stretch feels awkward
Index at the 4th fret, ring and pinky at the 6th. Keep the thumb behind the middle of the neck so the hand opens instead of turning.

What makes it a C#5

C♯ · G♯ 1 5

C#5 is C sharp with its perfect fifth, G sharp. The E sharp that would make it major, which charts write as F, and the E that would make it minor, are both absent.

That is the whole definition of a power chord: root and fifth, no third. It stays clean at high gain and belongs to no key in particular.

C#5 vs C#

Full C sharp major is a barre chord, and an uncomfortable one for many players. C#5 is two fingers on three strings.

The power chord also travels. C sharp is a common root in drop tuned and heavier music precisely because the shape can sit anywhere on the neck without changing.

C#5 chord questions

Is C#5 the same as Db5?

Yes, the same two notes. Guitar charts usually write C#5, so that is the name here.

Is C#5 major or minor?

Neither. There is no third in it to decide.

Where is C#5 on the neck?

The 4th fret of the A string is the usual position. The same chord sits at the 9th fret of the low E string.

Is there an open C#5?

No. C sharp is not the pitch of an open string, so the root is always fretted.

What chords go with C#5?

F sharp 5 and G sharp 5 complete the key of C sharp. In the key of A, C sharp 5 stands in for the III chord in heavier arrangements.

Chords to learn next

Other C# chords