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C-sharp Chord

piano chord chart

The C-sharp major triad, more commonly called the C-sharp major chord or simply the C-sharp chord for short, consists of the notes C-sharp, E-sharp and G-sharp. It is enharmonic with the D-flat major chord – meaning that both chords are the same on the piano, even though the notes are different.

Here is the C-sharp chord on the treble clef staff:

… and on the piano:

Here is the C-sharp major chord on the bass clef staff:

As a major triad, the C-sharp chord consists of a major third plus a minor third. The interval from C-sharp to E-sharp is a major third, while the interval between E-sharp and G-sharp is a minor third.

Inversions of the C-sharp Chord

If the root of the C-sharp chord – C-sharp – is the bass note (i.e., the bottom note), then the chord is in root position:

If the third of the chord – E-sharp – is the bottom note, then the chord is in first inversion:

If the fifth of the chord – G-sharp – is the bass note, then the chord is in second inversion. (G-sharp is called the fifth of the chord because the interval from the root C-sharp to G-sharp is a fifth.)

C-sharp Major Arpeggios

If the notes of a chord are played one after the other, the chord is said to be arpeggiated. Here are the standard fingerings for arpeggios of the C-sharp chord. Make sure you learn these fingerings!

(If you don’t understand the below notation, you should start with my How to Read Sheet Music course.)

C-sharp major arpeggio in root position:

C-sharp major arpeggio in first inversion:

C-sharp major arpeggio in second inversion:

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