What notes are in a C♯ minor chord?

C♯ minor contains three notes: C♯ (the root), E (the minor third), and G♯ (the perfect fifth).

How do you play C♯ minor on guitar?

Most commonly an A-shape barre at the 4th fret: index finger across strings 5–1 on the 4th fret, ring finger on the 6th fret of the 4th string, pinky on the 6th fret of the 3rd string, middle finger on the 5th fret of the 2nd string.

How is C♯ minor different from C♯ major?

Only the third changes. C♯ major has E♯ (the major third, same pitch as F); C♯ minor has E natural (the minor third). The root (C♯) and fifth (G♯) are the same.

What pieces are famous in C♯ minor?

Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata Op. 27 No. 2, Rachmaninoff's Prelude Op. 3 No. 2, his Piano Concerto No. 2 (which begins on a C♯ minor pivot), and Chopin's C♯ minor Waltz Op. 64 No. 2 are all anchored here.

C# minor chord — notes, intervals, and practice

C♯ minor is a four-sharp key famous for its association with darker, more contemplative music. The chord contains C♯, E, and G♯. Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata is in C♯ minor — its opening Adagio is among the most recognised pieces in the piano repertoire. Rachmaninoff's C♯ minor Prelude is another giant of the literature; the key carries strong associations with introspection, romance, and mystery.

Intervals

The C# minor chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

C#→Eminor 3rd3 semitones
E→G#major 3rd4 semitones
C#→G#perfect 5th7 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the C# minor chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the C# minor chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

C♯ minor's root and fifth are both sharp (C♯ and G♯); the third is plain E. The most common error is reading G♯ as G natural, which produces a C♯ diminished chord (C♯-E-G), a much more dissonant sound. On guitar, C♯ minor is most commonly an A-shape barre at the 4th fret. The four-sharp key signature is dense enough that beginners often miss the G♯ when sight-reading; double-checking the dominant is a good habit.

In context

C♯ minor is the i chord in C♯ minor, the vi chord in E major (the relative-major position), the ii in B major, and the iii in A major. Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata Op. 27 No. 2 builds its first movement around continuous arpeggiated C♯ minor chords; the texture defined an entire era of piano writing. Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C♯ minor Op. 3 No. 2 is another defining moment in Romantic piano literature.

Drill it

The C# minor chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in a C♯ minor chord?: C♯ minor contains three notes: C♯ (the root), E (the minor third), and G♯ (the perfect fifth).
How do you play C♯ minor on guitar?: Most commonly an A-shape barre at the 4th fret: index finger across strings 5–1 on the 4th fret, ring finger on the 6th fret of the 4th string, pinky on the 6th fret of the 3rd string, middle finger on the 5th fret of the 2nd string.
How is C♯ minor different from C♯ major?: Only the third changes. C♯ major has E♯ (the major third, same pitch as F); C♯ minor has E natural (the minor third). The root (C♯) and fifth (G♯) are the same.
What pieces are famous in C♯ minor?: Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata Op. 27 No. 2, Rachmaninoff's Prelude Op. 3 No. 2, his Piano Concerto No. 2 (which begins on a C♯ minor pivot), and Chopin's C♯ minor Waltz Op. 64 No. 2 are all anchored here.