Mandolin · key of C♯ minor

Chords in the key of C♯ minor

The seven chords in the key of C♯ minor are C♯m, D♯dim, E, F♯m, G♯m, A and B. E, A and B are the major chords (III, VI and VII), C♯m, F♯m and G♯m are the minor chords (i, iv and v), and D♯dim is diminished (ii°). Its relative major is E major, which uses the same seven chords. The same key is sometimes written D♭ minor.

Key

Scale

The chords of C♯ minor
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
i	C♯mhome	C♯ E G♯	C♯m7home	C♯ E G♯ B	1m	tonic
ii°	D♯dimthe edge	D♯ F♯ A	D♯m7♭5the edge	D♯ F♯ A C♯	2°	supertonic
III	Edaylight	E G♯ B	Emaj7daylight	E G♯ B D♯	3	mediant
iv	F♯msoft fall	F♯ A C♯	F♯m7soft fall	F♯ A C♯ E	4m	subdominant
v	G♯msoft fall	G♯ B D♯	G♯m7soft fall	G♯ B D♯ F♯	5m	dominant
VI	Acinematic	A C♯ E	Amaj7cinematic	A C♯ E G♯	6	submediant
VII	Bheroic	B D♯ F♯	B7heroic	B D♯ F♯ A	7	subtonic
V	G♯the pull	G♯ B♯ D♯	G♯7the pull	G♯ B♯ D♯ F♯	5	often used in place of G♯m

Sound

Strum or arpeggiate any chord, tap a note to hear it, drag the strip under a picture to play it further up the neck, or pick another inversion. Library opens the chord there, with every other way to play it.

C♯m

LibraryMandolin · Standard

i · tonic

D♯dim

LibraryMandolin · Standard

ii° · supertonic

E

LibraryMandolin · Standard

III · mediant

F♯m

LibraryMandolin · Standard

iv · subdominant

G♯m

LibraryMandolin · Standard

v · dominant

A

LibraryMandolin · Standard

VI · submediant

B

LibraryMandolin · Standard

VII · subtonic

Chord progressions in C♯ minor

Press a chord to hear it and see its shape, or Play to hear the progression on mandolin. The colours say what each chord does in the key.

Sound Pattern Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

home, minorthe pullthe edgeheroiccinematicsoft falldaylight

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

The minor key’s three chords

i | iv | v | i

Key Chord chart

i–iv–v–i, the minor key’s own three chords.

The epic minor progression

i | VI | III | VII

Key Chord chart

i–VI–III–VII, the sound of film scores and rock anthems.

The Andalusian cadence

i | VII | VI | V

Key Chord chart

Stepping down to a major fifth chord, heard in flamenco and in many rock songs.

To the relative major

i | iv | VII | III

Key Chord chart

i–iv–VII–III, a minor progression that lands on the relative major.

Climbing back home

i | VI | VII | i

Key Chord chart

i–VI–VII–i, common in rock and metal.

The minor ii–V–i

iiø7 | V7 | i7 | i7

Key Chord chart

The minor turnaround of jazz, in seventh chords.

The major fifth chord

In a minor key the fifth chord is often played major, G♯ or G♯7 in place of G♯m. Its third is the leading note of the harmonic minor scale, a half step below C♯, and it pulls back to C♯m more strongly.

The relative major: E major

E major has the same notes and the same seven chords as C♯ minor, starting from E. A song in one often moves to the other. The parallel major, D♭ major, starts on the same note with a different set of chords.

Play it with a capo

C♯ minor takes barre chords on mandolin. A capo lets you play it with the open shapes of an easier key:

Capo 4, the shapes of A minor: Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F and G

The C♯ minor scale and key signature

The notes of C♯ minor are C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, B. Its key signature has four sharps: C♯, D♯, F♯ and G♯. Each chord of the key is built from these notes, a third apart: a chord on every note of the scale. See the C♯ minor scale on the mandolin neck, and the C♯ minor pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, G♯ minor and F♯ minor sit on either side of C♯ minor. Each shares six of its seven notes, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.

Every key

C D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

C minor C♯ minor D minor E♭ minor E minor F minor F♯ minor G minor G♯ minor A minor B♭ minor B minor

All twenty-four on one page: chords in every key. To print these chords, open them as a chord chart, or make your own in the chord chart maker. This key on guitar, bass, ukulele and banjo.