C♯ major (C♯) chord on mandolin

Looking for the C♯ chord on mandolin? It is a major triad, made of three notes: C♯ – E♯ – G♯. The same chord with a different spelling: D♭ major (D♭).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 3medium

Position 6medium

Position 9medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the C♯ chord sounds like

A major triad sounds stable and bright: root, major third and perfect fifth. Most songs are built on major chords – in a major key, chords I, IV and V are all major.

Notes of the C♯ chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	C♯	root
3	E♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	G♯	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): fret 4, little finger (G♯5)
String 2 (A): fret 4, little finger (C♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 3, ring finger (E♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (G♯3)

Position 3

String 1 (E): fret 4, ring finger (G♯5)
String 2 (A): fret 4, middle finger (C♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 3, index finger (E♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 6, little finger (C♯4)

Position 6, barre at fret 6

String 1 (E): fret 9, little finger (C♯6)
String 2 (A): fret 8, ring finger (E♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 6, index finger (G♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 6, index finger (C♯4)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 6; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The C♯ chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

F♯ major: V (dominant)
F♯ minor: V (dominant)
D♯ minor: VII

Similar chords and substitutes

If C♯ is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

B♭m – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
Fm – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
C♯maj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
C♯sus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Richer versions

C♯7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
C♯maj7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
C♯6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
C♯add9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯ chord?

C♯, E♯, G♯. The root is C♯; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play C♯ on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the C♯ chord written?

The chord symbol is C♯ (also written C#), and its full name is C♯ major.