C♯m6 chord on guitar

C♯m6 is C♯, E, G♯ and A♯. The usual shape is x-4-6-3-5-x. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

How to play C♯m6 on guitar

Shape 1, x-4-6-3-5-x, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 3rd fret:

1. A♯: index finger, 3rd fret of the G string.
2. C♯: middle finger, 4th fret of the A string.
3. E: ring finger, 5th fret of the B string.
4. G♯: pinky finger, 6th fret of the D string.
5. The low E and high E strings must not sound: rest a finger against them.

• The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.
• This one reaches. Let the thumb slide lower on the neck and the stretch gets noticeably easier.
• With four strings sounding, a shorter strum works best: start on the first played string and stop at the high E.

Other ways to play C♯m6

• 9-11-11-9-11-9: barre shape at the 9th fret, medium. Built on the Em6 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
• 9-7-6-6-9-6: partial barre shape at the 6th fret, medium. Same notes, stacked differently, so it sounds a little different.

C♯m6 the capo way

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 4th fret and play the open Am6 shape (x-0-2-2-1-2). The chord sounds as C♯m6 because the capo raises every string by 4 half steps.

Changing from C♯m6 to the chords around it

Songs rarely hold C♯m6 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

• F♯ (V in B major): 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. F♯ on guitar
• E (IV in B major): 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. E on guitar
• B (I in B major): 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. B on guitar

C♯m6 is C♯ minor with a major sixth added. C♯m6 sounds moody and cinematic and often replaces C♯m as the home chord of a minor jazz tune. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Getting C♯m6 under your fingers

Before strumming, play x-4-6-3-5-x note by note: C♯ then G♯ then A♯ then E. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-4-6-3-5-x and 9-11-11-9-11-9, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

D♭m6 is another spelling of C♯m6. Same shape, same sound.

Where C♯m6 shows up

C♯m6 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try C♯m6 on ukulele or C♯m6 on piano, or compare them on the C♯m6 chord page.

Next to try on guitar

• C♯m
• C♯m7
• C♯m7♭5
• C♯6

Other minor sixth chords

• Cm6
• Dm6
• E♭m6
• Em6
• Fm6
• F♯m6
• Gm6
• G♯m6
• Am6
• B♭m6
• Bm6

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside C♯m6. Updated September 2026. Print this chord