C#m Piano Chord

C sharp minor is the C#m piano chord. It has three notes: C sharp, E and G sharp. The outer two are black keys with a white key in the middle.

1C♯3E5G♯C4C5

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

How to play C#m 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): E
  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.

The shape is identical to F sharp minor moved along the keyboard: thumb and little finger on black keys, middle finger on the white key between them.

Inversions of C#m

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

First inversionE G♯ C♯
C#m piano chord diagram, first inversion, E G♯ C♯
Lighter than root position and less final. A flat third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionG♯ C♯ E
C#m piano chord diagram, second inversion, G♯ C♯ E
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.

If it sounds wrong

The thumb is on the wrong key
C sharp is the first black key in the group of two. Find the group, not the note name, and the hand lands in the right place.
The chord sounds bright
The middle note is E, a white key. If it sounds major you are on F, which would give C sharp major.
The hand feels twisted
Two fingers on black keys and one forward on a white one means the hand sits at an angle. Let it: forcing the wrist flat is what makes this shape uncomfortable.

What makes it a C#m

C♯ · E · G♯ 1 ♭3 5

C sharp minor is the first, flat third and fifth of the C sharp scale: C sharp, E and G sharp.

It is the relative minor of E major, the vi chord of E and the ii of B. E is one of the most used keys in rock and pop, so this chord appears far more than its key signature would suggest.

C#m vs C#

The middle note. C sharp minor uses E; C sharp major uses F, the white key above it.

C sharp minor is much the more common of the two, as the relative minor of E major. C sharp major is mostly met as a passing chord or after a modulation.

Questions about C#m

Which notes are in a C#m chord on piano?

C sharp, E and G sharp. C sharp and G sharp are black keys; E is white.

What fingers do you use for C#m?

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

Is C#m the same as Dbm?

The same keys and sound, but D flat minor is almost never written. C sharp minor is the name in use.

Is C#m hard on piano?

No. Black, white, black is a comfortable shape once the hand sits far enough into the keyboard.

Where is the C#m chord used?

As the vi chord in E, the ii in B and the iii in A. Guitar based rock uses it constantly.

Chords to learn next

Other C# chords