C#m Guitar Chord

C#m is the C sharp minor chord. It has three notes: C♯, E and G♯. The standard shape is a barre at the 4th fret, the same grip as Bm moved up two frets. Because C#m is the vi chord of the guitar friendly key of E, it appears in far more songs than its difficulty label suggests.

An Am shape barre at the 4th fret. If Bm is in your hands already, this is the identical grip two frets up.

How to play C#m, step by step

Index finger: press flat across the A to high E strings at fret 4
Middle finger: 5th fret, B string
Ring finger: 6th fret, D string
Pinky finger: 6th fret, G string
Strum from the A string down, skipping the low E.

If you already play Bm, you already play C#m: identical fingering, two frets higher, where the frets are slightly closer together.

Easy C#m for beginners (no barre)

Skip the barre with xx6654: the top four strings of the standard shape, each fretted by its own finger. Nothing to press flat, nothing to roll.

Musically it is the whole chord. Root, third and fifth are what make C sharp minor what it is, and all three are present: G♯, C♯, E, G♯. You are only trading away the low root and some body.

Because this shape is the upper half of the barre version, moving between them later is painless. Play the small one in songs now; add the barre when your index finger is ready to carry five strings.

More ways to play C#m

There are 4 common C#m 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.

C#m guitar chord diagram, easier, no barre, played xx6654 — Easier, no barre

C#m guitar chord diagram, barre at fret 9, played 9 11 11 9 9 9 — Barre at fret 9

C#m guitar chord diagram, compact, frets 9 to 11, played x x 11 9 9 9 — Compact, frets 9 to 11

When it will not ring clean

Barre notes crackle: Move the whole index closer behind the 4th fret wire; a barre floating mid fret needs twice the pressure. Only the A and high E strings actually rely on it, so aim your strength there.
The high E disappears: Usually the middle finger's underside is resting on it. Curl the middle finger so it presses the B string with its tip and clears the string below.
Low E sneaks into the strum: That open E clashes with the C♯ root. Touch it quietly with the tip of the barre finger, or train the pick to start on the A string.

What makes it a C#m

C♯ · E · G♯ 1 ♭3 5

C#m is a minor triad: C♯, a minor third E, and a fifth G♯. It is the relative minor of E major, and that relationship does the heavy lifting: E is one of the most natural keys on guitar, and C#m is its vi chord. Under the Bridge and All My Loving both pull it into E major progressions. It also serves as the ii chord in the key of B.

C#m vs C#

C♯ major has an E♯, the same pitch as F, where C#m has a plain E. On the fretboard both are 4th fret barres: the major stacks the A shape, the minor spreads into the Am shape, one finger of difference carrying the whole major or minor decision. In practice guitarists meet C#m constantly because of the key of E, and C♯ major far less often.

C#m chord questions

Is C#m hard to play?

It needs a barre, but a five string one at the 4th fret, where the strings press easily. If you can play Bm, C#m is the same grip two frets up.

Is Dbm the same as C#m?

Yes. D flat minor and C sharp minor are one chord with two names. In sharp keys like E and B, where this chord lives, charts write C#m.

What songs use C#m?

Under the Bridge, Message in a Bottle and All My Loving all use it, each in a sharp key where C#m is at home.

How can I play C#m without a barre?

Play xx6654: four fingers on the top four strings, no barre, with all three chord notes intact.

What is the relative major of C#m?

E major. The two share four sharps, which is why songs in E drift into C#m and back so smoothly.