C# guitar chord
The C# major chord: every way to play it on the neck, the notes in it, and the scales that sound good over it.
What's in C#
- Notes
- C# – E# – G#
- Formula
- 1 – 3 – 5
- Name
- C# major
C#C# · E# · G#
4 ways to play it · Tuning E A D G B E
- C shape · 1st fret
- A shape · 4th fret
- G shape · 6th fret
- E shape · 9th fret
What to play over C#
Start with the chord's own notes — C#, E#, G# — and land on them on the strong beats. Then reach for a scale; which one depends on the chord's job in the song.
- D♭ major pentatonic scale
The safe start: the chord’s own three notes plus the 2 and the 6, nothing that clashes.
- D♭ major scale
The full major scale, when the chord is the song’s home chord (I).
- D♭ Lydian mode
A brighter, floating sound with the ♯4 — when the chord is a IV.
- D♭ Mixolydian mode
The ♭7 gives it a bluesy, rock edge — when the chord is a V.
Questions
What notes are in a C# chord?
C# has 3 notes: C#, E#, G#. Counted from the root, its formula is 1 – 3 – 5.
What scale goes with C#?
D♭ major pentatonic scale is the place to start. The safe start: the chord’s own three notes plus the 2 and the 6, nothing that clashes.