C♯m6 chord
C♯m6 is C♯, E, G♯ and A♯: 1–♭3–5–6 built on C♯. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
x-4-6-3-5-x · movable · medium
- Notes
- C♯ · E · G♯ · A♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
- First shape
- x-4-6-3-5-x
C♯m6 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · C♯–E–G♯–A♯ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- C♯ · E · G♯ · A♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
C♯m6 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
1-1-0-1 · open · easy
- Notes
- C♯ · E · G♯ · A♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
- First shape
- 1-1-0-1
Changing out of C♯m6
Three changes cover most of what C♯m6 does in songs.
- C♯m6 → F♯ (V in B major)
Guitar: C♯m6 (x-4-6-3-5-x) to F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 3rd fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for C♯ and A♯, which stay put while the rest moves.
Piano: C♯m6 to F♯: play F♯ in 2nd inversion (C♯–F♯–A♯) and C♯ and A♯ stay under the same fingers, while E moves up to F♯. F♯ - C♯m6 → E (IV in B major)
Guitar: C♯m6 (x-4-6-3-5-x) to E (0-2-2-1-0-0): your index finger lands on the G string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the D string, 2nd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for E and G♯, which stay put while the rest moves.
Piano: C♯m6 to E: play E in root position (E–G♯–B) and E and G♯ stay under the same fingers, while A♯ moves up to B. E - C♯m6 → B (I in B major)
Guitar: C♯m6 (x-4-6-3-5-x) to B (x-2-4-4-4-2): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 2nd fret, the middle finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, move the ring finger to the G string, 4th fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once.
Piano: C♯m6 to B: play B in 1st inversion (D♯–F♯–B), while E moves down to D♯, E up to F♯ and A♯ up to B. B
Guitar with a capo: capo 4, Am6 shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 4, Am6 shape.
How C♯m6 is built
C♯m6 is C♯ minor with a major sixth added. It sounds moody and cinematic, a favorite in gypsy jazz and film noir, and works as the home chord of a minor key.
From C♯, go 3 half steps up to E, 4 half steps up to G♯ then 2 half steps up to A♯. Written with flats or sharps the other way round it's D♭m6; the sound is identical.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| C♯ | root | 0 | |
| E | minor third | 3 | |
| G♯ | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| A♯ | major sixth | 9 |
Keys and progressions with C♯m6
C♯m6 sits outside the seven chords of every major and natural minor key, so expect it as a color or passing chord.
Chords close to C♯m6
- C♯m6 is C♯m plus A♯. C♯m
Chords that share most of their notes with C♯m6: B♭m7♭5, F♯9, C♯m, B♭dim, C♯m7, C♯6.
Every C♯ chord
C♯m6 chord: questions
What notes are in the C♯m6 chord?
C♯, E, G♯ and A♯. C♯m6 is built 1–♭3–5–6 from C♯: E is the minor third, G♯ is the perfect fifth and A♯ is the major sixth.
How do you play C♯m6 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-4-6-3-5-x (movable). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play C♯m6 on piano?
Play C♯, E, G♯ and A♯ with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. C♯ sits on the black key between C and D. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play C♯m6 on ukulele?
1-1-0-1 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is C♯m6 in?
C♯m6 sits outside the seven chords of every major and natural minor key, so expect it as a color or passing chord.
What's the difference between C♯m6 and C♯m?
C♯m6 is C♯m plus A♯.
Diagrams and sound come from the same data, tested so they match. Updated September 2026.