Chords in the Key of C♯ Minor (4 sharps)
C♯ minor is the relative minor of E, so guitar rock falls into it naturally. C♯m, A, B is half the moody-anthem catalog by itself.
The seven chords
| Degree | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| i | C♯m | minor |
| ii° | D♯ dim | diminished |
| III | E | major |
| iv | F♯m | minor |
| v | G♯m | minor |
| VI | A | major |
| VII | B | major |
C♯m, F♯m, and G♯m are the minors, E, A, and B the majors, D♯ diminished mostly skipped. The v often turns major, G♯7, when the song wants a harder pull home. That raised note is harmonic minor at work.
Common progressions
C♯m, A, B. Rock's minor lane, Zeppelin through grunge.
C♯m, F♯m, G♯7. The minor cadence with the major V pulling it home.
Scales to solo with
C♯ minor pentatonic is the default lead scale, and the C♯ blues scale adds the ♭5. E major pentatonic is the same five notes from the relative major side.
Keep exploring
Relative major
Parallel major
Neighbor keys, one accidental away
Key of C♯ Minor FAQ
What chords are in the key of C♯ minor?
C♯m, D♯ diminished, E, F♯m, G♯m, A, and B. In practice the v is often played major or as G♯7 for a stronger pull back to C♯m.
What is the relative major of C♯ minor?
E major. Same key signature, same seven chords, with E treated as home.
Why does C♯ minor use G♯7 if it isn't in the key?
The natural minor's v chord is G♯m, and it pulls home gently. Raising its third turns it into G♯7, which pulls to C♯m much harder. That raised note comes from the harmonic minor scale, and cadences borrowed it so often it became the default.