C# Piano Chord

C sharp major is the C# piano chord. It has three notes: C sharp, F and G sharp. Two are black keys with a white one in the middle, which makes it the same hand shape as E flat and A flat major.

1C♯3F5G♯C4C5

C♯ at the bottom, then F and G♯. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. The black keys are C♯ and G♯.

How to play C# on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the C♯ above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): C♯
  3. Middle finger (3): F
  4. Little finger (5): G♯
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 1 an octave lower, or just C♯ on its own as a bass note.

Written strictly the middle note is E sharp, but that is the key everyone calls F, and every chart prints F. It is the white key between the two groups of black keys.

Inversions of C#

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are C#; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionF G♯ C♯
C# piano chord diagram, first inversion, F G♯ C♯
Lighter than root position and less final. The third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it so often sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionG♯ C♯ F
C# piano chord diagram, second inversion, G♯ C♯ F
Open and a little unresolved. A fifth in the bass sounds like the chord is on its way somewhere, which is exactly how it is used: as the step between two chords whose roots are further apart.

If it sounds wrong

The middle note sounds wrong
It is F, the white key. If you play E instead, which is the note the name C sharp major might suggest, you get a chord that is not this one.
The outer black keys are hard to find
C sharp is the first black key in the group of two; G sharp is the last one in the group of three. Look for the groups rather than counting up from C.
The hand feels stretched
It should not: the span is only a fifth. If it feels wide, the hand is probably too far forward, so the fingers are reaching back for the black keys.

What makes it a C#

C♯ · F · G♯ 1 3 5

C sharp major is the first, third and fifth notes of the C sharp major scale: C sharp, E sharp and G sharp. E sharp is the same key as F, and chord charts print it that way, which is why this page does too.

It is the I chord of C sharp major, the IV of G sharp and the V of F sharp. It is a rare home key, so the chord is usually met inside another key, or in a song that has modulated upward.

C# vs C#m

The middle note moves from F down to E, white key to white key. That gives C sharp minor, which is a far more common chord than C sharp major, because it is the relative minor of E, one of the most used keys in pop.

The two are the same distance apart as any major and minor pair: one note, one key, and the whole colour of the chord changes.

Questions about C#

Which notes are in a C# chord on piano?

C sharp, F and G sharp. C sharp and G sharp are black keys; the middle note is the white key F, which written strictly would be E sharp.

Why does the chord show F rather than E sharp?

Strict notation spells the third of C sharp major as E sharp. It is the same key as F, and every chord chart prints F, so this page follows the charts.

Is C# the same as Db?

The same three keys and the same sound. Sharp keys write C sharp, flat keys write D flat. Guitar and pop charts tend to use C sharp, which is why it is used here.

What fingers do you use for a C# chord?

Right hand: thumb on C sharp, middle finger on F, little finger on G sharp. Left hand: little finger on C sharp, middle on F, thumb on G sharp.

Where is the C# chord used?

As the I chord in C sharp, the IV in G sharp and the V in F sharp. More often it appears as a passing chord in another key, or after a song has modulated up.

Chords to learn next

Other C# chords