Minor scale · 7 notes
C♯ minor scale on guitar
The C♯ minor scale (C sharp minor scale) has 7 notes: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A and B. The natural minor scale: the major scale’s darker twin, with a ♭3, ♭6 and ♭7. You may also see it written as D♭ minor, but C♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- C♯
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A
- B
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
W – H – W – W – H – W – W
Sound
Dark, sad or serious, without being exotic
C♯ minor on the whole fretboard
Every C♯ minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, C♯, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
C♯ at fret 9. 8th position: frets 8–12.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of C♯ minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from C♯, the C♯ minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 4 sharps (C♯, D♯, F♯ and G♯). Compared with D♭ major, it has E (♭3) instead of F, A (♭6) instead of B♭ and B (♭7) instead of C.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | root | 0 |
| 2 | D♯ | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | E | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | F♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | G♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | A | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | B | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in C♯ minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to C♯ minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in C♯ minor.
- iC♯mC♯ · E · G♯C♯m7
- ii°D♯°D♯ · F♯ · AD♯m7♭5
- ♭IIIEE · G♯ · BEmaj7
- ivF♯mF♯ · A · C♯F♯m7
- vG♯mG♯ · B · D♯G♯m7
- ♭VIAA · C♯ · EAmaj7
- ♭VIIBB · D♯ · F♯B7
Progressions to try
- C♯m – A – E – B i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII · epic rock/pop
- C♯m – F♯m – G♯m i–iv–v · minor blues-style
- C♯m – B – A – B i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII · rock riffing
- C♯m – F♯m – B – E i–iv–♭VII–♭III · circle movement
How to use C♯ minor
Reach for it over songs in a minor key, over minor and minor 7th chords, and in rock, metal, pop ballads and folk. Its sound is dark, sad or serious, without being exotic.
Tip: Every minor scale shares its notes with a major scale three frets higher. If you know G major, you already know E minor: just treat E as home.
- C♯ minor is the relative minor of E major, so the two share all seven notes. See E major.
- C♯ minor contains exactly the notes of E major, played from its Aeolian note, C♯. See E major.
Where to find C♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every C♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with C♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 9 |
| B (2nd) | 2 |
| G (3rd) | 6 |
| D (4th) | 11 |
| A (5th) | 4 |
| Low E (6th) | 9 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as C♯ minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
C♯ minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the C♯ minor scale?
The C♯ minor scale has 7 notes: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A and B. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 4 sharps (C♯, D♯, F♯ and G♯).
What chords are in C♯ minor?
Harmonising the C♯ minor scale in thirds gives C♯m (i), D♯° (ii°), E (♭III), F♯m (iv), G♯m (v), A (♭VI) and B (♭VII).
Where do you play the C♯ minor scale on guitar?
The root, C♯, is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 8–12, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as C♯ minor?
C♯ minor is the relative minor of E major, so the two share all seven notes. C♯ minor contains exactly the notes of E major, played from its Aeolian note, C♯.