C♯6 chord on guitar

C♯6 is C♯, E♯, G♯ and A♯. The usual shape is x-4-3-3-6-4. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

x-4-3-3-6-4 · partial barre · medium

Notes: C♯ · E♯ · G♯ · A♯
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
First shape: x-4-3-3-6-4

How to play C♯6 on guitar

Shape 1, x-4-3-3-6-4, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 3rd fret:

Lay your index finger flat across the 2 strings from the D string to the G string at the 3rd fret.
Middle finger: A string, 4th fret (C♯).
Ring finger: high E string, 4th fret (G♯).
Pinky: B string, 6th fret (E♯).
Don't play the low E string: start your strum on the A string.

A partial barre only covers a few strings: flatten the top joint of the finger and leave the rest curved.
Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.
This one reaches. Let the thumb slide lower on the neck and the stretch gets noticeably easier.

Other ways to play C♯6

9-8-6-6-6-6: partial barre shape at the 6th fret, medium. Use it when the next chord sits nearby on the neck.
x-x-11-10-11-9: movable shape at the 9th fret, medium. A small shape for quick changes and a lighter sound.

C♯6 the capo way

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 1st fret and play the open C6 shape (x-3-2-2-1-0), capo on the 4th fret and play the open A6 shape (x-0-2-2-2-2) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open G6 shape (3-2-0-0-0-0). The chord sounds as C♯6 because the capo raises every string by a half step.

C♯6 chord changes

Songs rarely hold C♯6 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

F♯ (IV in D♭ major): C♯6 (x-4-3-3-6-4) to F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 3rd fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 4th fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared notes: C♯ and A♯. F♯ on guitar
A♭ (V in D♭ major): C♯6 (x-4-3-3-6-4) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 5th fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 6th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share G♯, which is why the change sounds smooth. A♭ on guitar
B♭m (vi in D♭ major): C♯6 (x-4-3-3-6-4) to B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the B string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the D string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. C♯, E♯ and A♯ carry over from one chord to the other. B♭m on guitar

C♯6 is C♯ major with a major sixth added. C♯6 is a vintage ending chord; hold it at the end of a swing or ballad tune instead of plain C♯. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short C♯6 drill

Arpeggiate x-4-3-3-6-4 from the lowest string: C♯, E♯, A♯, E♯, G♯. Then strum it and listen for the same 5 notes together. Finish by moving between x-4-3-3-6-4 and 9-8-6-6-6-6 to learn two positions of the same chord.

Written D♭6, it's the same chord with the same frets.

C♯6 in context

C♯6 on piano and ukulele

C♯6 on piano and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Related C♯ chords on guitar

Other major sixth chords

C♯6 on guitar: questions

What notes are in C♯6 on guitar?

C♯, E♯, G♯ and A♯. In the x-4-3-3-6-4 shape the strings play C♯ (A string), E♯ (D string), A♯ (G string), E♯ (B string) and G♯ (high E string), so E♯ is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play C♯6 on guitar?

In standard tuning C♯6 can't use open strings. Begin with x-x-11-10-11-9. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and a capo is worth trying when the song allows.

Is C♯6 a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: x-4-3-3-6-4 needs no barre.

Which string does C♯6 start on?

In the x-4-3-3-6-4 shape the lowest string you play is the A string at the 4th fret, which is C♯, the root. Skip the low E string.

Every shape above plays only C♯, E♯, G♯ and A♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.