C♯ Minor CAGED Chord Shapes: All 5 Positions on Guitar

C♯ minor (C sharp minor, written C# minor, the same notes as D flat minor) is C♯, E and G♯. The CAGED system gives five shapes for it up the neck: the C shape from the first fret, the A shape from the fourth fret, the G shape from the sixth fret, the E shape from the ninth fret and the D shape from the eleventh fret. None of them is an open chord, so each one is a barre or a partial shape.

Keys

CAGED Chords — C♯m

1C shape
4A shape
6G shape
9E shape
11D shape

Triads — C♯m

Root position

1C shape
4A shape
6G shape
9E shape

The notes of C♯m

C♯m is a minor triad: root, minor third and fifth (1 ♭3 5), which is a minor third (three frets) with a major third (four frets) on top. Every shape below is those three notes, doubled in different octaves.

It's the same pitch as D♭ minor; this page uses C♯ because it's spelled with fewer sharps or flats.

How the five shapes connect

From the bottom of the neck up, the shapes run C (first fret), A (fourth fret), G (sixth fret), E (ninth fret) and D (eleventh fret). Each one starts where the last one's top notes are, so playing them in order moves one chord up the whole fretboard. After the D shape, the C shape comes round again twelve frets higher.

The A shape and G shape share 2 notes (G♯ on the D string at the sixth fret and C♯ on the G string at the sixth fret), which is the hinge between them.

Where the root, C♯, sits in each shape: C shape: A; A shape: A and G; G shape: low E and G; E shape: low E, D and high e; D shape: D and B. Find that string first and the rest of the shape falls into place around it.

Where C♯m appears

Written out, C♯m uses two sharps (C♯ and G♯), so it sits most naturally in sharp keys.

C♯m belongs to 8 keys: vi in E major (four sharps), iii in A major (three sharps) and ii in B major (five sharps); i in C♯ minor (four sharps), v in F♯ minor (three sharps) and iv in G♯ minor (five sharps); i in C♯ harmonic minor (four sharps) and iv in G♯ harmonic minor (five sharps).

Of those, E major and A major are among the open-string guitar keys (C, G, D, A and E major, and A, E and D minor), so C♯m turns up often in guitar songs.

Open strings and capo options for C♯m

Two open strings are part of C♯m: the low E string (the third) and the high e string (the third). None of them is the root, so they colour a voicing rather than anchor it.

To get an open-sounding voicing, use a capo: the Am shape with the capo at the fourth fret.

Its relative major, E, shares two notes with C♯m (E and G♯). Its parallel major, D♭ (C♯ major, usually written D♭ major), shares two as well (C♯ and G♯). The chords a fourth and a fifth away, F♯m and G♯m, are its neighbours in C♯ minor and share one note each: C♯ with F♯m, and G♯ with G♯m.

C♯m CAGED FAQs

What notes are in a C♯m chord?

C♯, E and G♯: the root, minor third and fifth (1 ♭3 5).

What are the CAGED shapes for C♯ minor?

The C shape from the first fret, the A shape from the fourth fret, the G shape from the sixth fret, the E shape from the ninth fret and the D shape from the eleventh fret. C shape is the lowest; the C shape repeats twelve frets higher.

Where is the easiest C♯m chord on guitar?

The C shape from the first fret is the lowest. Most players start with the E-shape or A-shape barre, then learn the others.

Learn more

The CAGED system explained covers how the five shapes are built and linked, and minor CAGED shapes shows how each one changes for minor. The CAGED guitar lessons set out what to learn next, and the CAGED library has every major and minor chord.