C♯ minor chord
C♯m
- C♯R
- E♭3
- G♯5
Barre · Am shape · 4th fret
What each note does
- C♯ is the root. It names the chord and is the note your ear hears as home.
- E is the minor third, a half step below the major third (F). That one note is the whole difference between sad and happy.
- G♯ is the fifth. It adds weight without changing the character, so it is the first note to drop when a voicing gets crowded.
More voicings
Barre · Em shape · 9th fret
Triad · top 3 strings · 9th fret
Progressions that use C♯m
- Open in builder →
I–V–vi–IV · E major · Pop
EBC♯mA
- Open in builder →
I–vi–IV–V · E major · 50s
EC♯mAB
- Open in builder →
vi–IV–I–V · E major · Pop (minor start)
C♯mAEB