How to Play the C Sharp Minor Guitar Chord: 4 Easy Ways

Want to learn how to play the C sharp minor chord? You’re in the right place!

In this free guitar lesson you will learn:

• 5 quick and easy ways to play the C sharp minor chord.
• The secret to learning chords quickly.
• How to boost your guitar progress!

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What is a C Sharp Minor Chord?

A C sharp minor chord, is simply:

• A minor chord in the key of C Sharp.

In music, chords are broken up into two main categories, major and minor.

Major and minor chords can be broken down into 12 different keys.

For today’s lesson we’re going to be focusing on the C sharp minor chord.

Want to learn other chords? Go here: 14 Easy Chords For Beginners

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✅  Learn beginner-friendly versions of every chord.

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Fun Fact!

Often you will see a C sharp minor chord written like this, ‘C# Minor’.

In music, whenever you see a ‘#’ , pronounce it ‘sharp’.

For example, ‘C# Minor’ would be pronounced ‘C Sharp Minor’

How do I play a C Sharp Minor Chord?

The two most common ways to play a C sharp minor chord are:

• C# Minor Chord (E Shape)
• C# Minor Chord (A Shape)

Both of these chords are barre chords. If you’re new to this technique, watch this video for some tips and tricks on how to play barre chords:

C Sharp Minor Chord (E Shape)

This is referred to as the ‘E Shape’ because the main structure of the chord is based on an Em chord.

To learn an Em chord, go here: Easy Ways To Play An Em Chord

The root note of this chord can be found on the:

• 9th fret of the low E string (6th string) and high E string (1st string.)
• 11th fret of the D string. (4th string.)

• Barre your first finger across all the strings on the 9th fret.
• Place your 3rd finger on the 11th fret of the A string. (5th string.)
• Place your 4th finger on the 11th fret of the D string. (4th string.)

Barre chords are tricky, so don’t fret if you can’t play this chord straight away. You’ll get there! 🙂

C Sharp Minor Chord (A Shape)

We refer to this chord as the ‘A shape’ because the foundation of this chord is built off of the Am chord.

To learn the Am chord, go here:Am Guitar Chord For Beginners

The root note can be found on the:

• 4th fret of the A string. (5th string.)
• 6th fret of the G string. (3rd string.)

• Barre your first finger on the 4th fret. Start the barre on the A string (5th string) and continue it to the high E string (1st string.)
• Place your 3rd finger on the 6th fret of the D string. (4th string.)
• Place your 4th finger on the 6th fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
• Place your 2nd finger on the 5th fret of the B string. (2nd string.)

Now we’ve learned two of the most common ways to play a C sharp minor chord. Let’s take a look at some easy versions.

C Sharp Minor Chord Version 1

This first chord is perfect for beginners. Here are a few reasons why:

• It’s can be played in the first two frets. No guitar vertigo here.
• It only uses 3 fingers.
• You don’t have to worry about skipping lots of strings!

• Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string. (4th string.)
• Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
• Place your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the B string. (2nd string.)

C Sharp Minor Chord Version 2

This C sharp minor chord is perfect if you are an acoustic guitarist. This chord sounds gorgeous when all the strings ring out.

• Place your 3rd finger on the 4th fret of the A string. (5th string.)
• Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the D string. (4th string.)
• Place your 4th finger on the 4th fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
• Strum from the A string. (5th string.)

For more amazing acoustic guitar chords, go here: 6 Amazing Chords For Acoustic Guitars

C Sharp Minor Chord Version 3

This chord is fantastic for beginners because:

• It only uses 3 fingers!
• It’s played on the top 3 strings, so it’s nice and easy.
• It’s a great chord to practice your finger dexterity.

• Place your 3rd finger on the 6th fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
• Place your 2nd finger on the 5th fret of the B string. (2nd string.)
• Place your 1st finger on the 4th fret of the high E string. (1st string.)
• Strum from the G string.

This chord can be tricky for beginners as you have to strum from the G string. However, be patient. You can do it!

C Sharp Minor Chord Version 4

The final chord we’re going to learn is very similar to the C Sharp Minor Barre Chord (A Shape).

If you find the other versions too easy, try and learn this one.

This chord is fantastic to learn because:

• It’s the perfect bridge between stepping-stone chords and barre chords.
• This chord has lots of body and depth.
• It’s great for practicing your chord technique.

• Place your 3rd finger on the 6th fret of the D string. (4th string.)
• Place your 4th finger on the 6th fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
• Place your 2nd finger on the 5th fret of the B string. (2nd string.)
• Place your 1st finger on the 4th fret of the high E string. (1st string.)

What’s the fastest way to learn guitar chords?

The fastest way to learn guitar chords is to learn stepping-stone versions of chords.

Stepping-stone versions are easier versions of more advanced chords.

Here’s a classic example:

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I don’t want to learn easy versions. Give me the hard stuff!

Patience young padawan. Learning easier chords is the secret to successful guitar playing.

When you learn how to play easy chords, you are gradually developing your technique and dexterity.

When you come to learn more advanced chords, these will be FAR easier to play.

Guitar Chords Hacks

If you’re struggling to learn guitar chords, here are a few simple chord hacks which will boost your progress.

Chord Hack #1 Use The Tips of Your Fingers To Play A Chord

Make sure you use your tips when you play guitar chords, this will give you ultimate clarity.

Chord Hack #2 Use Your Arm To Play Chords

Most people think playing chords comes from just using their hands, however the secret to clear guitar chords is using your arm.

Make sure you:

• Extend your fretting arm, don’t let it tuck into your chest.
• Use your whole wrist to reach around chords.
• Move your whole hand around the fret board!

If you can’t play a chord, all you have to do is adjust your wrist or arm.

Chord Hack #3 Clench your fist when you play a chord right

This engages your muscle memory. When you play a chord correctly, squeeze your first and your hand will be able to remember the chord.

Here are some other cool-sounding C#m chords
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