Tools / Chords / C♯ 6th

C♯ 6th chord on guitar (C♯6)

Also written C♯6 or C♯

C♯ 6th contains C♯, E♯, G♯ and A♯. The 8th fret shape bars the A and D strings with the index finger while the pinky reaches the 10th fret.

8th fret9-8-8-10-9-×

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

C♯1Root

E♯3Major 3rd

G♯5Perfect 5th

A♯6Major 6th

Formula 1, 3, 5, 6

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionC♯–E♯–G♯–A♯C♯6Bass C♯

First inversionE♯–G♯–A♯–C♯C♯6/E♯Bass E♯

Second inversionG♯–A♯–C♯–E♯C♯6/G♯Bass G♯

Third inversionA♯–C♯–E♯–G♯C♯6/A♯Bass A♯

Why it sounds like that

C♯ 6th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 6. The major sixth A♯ added to the C♯ major triad gives the chord a bright, singing quality. Compare it with C♯ major, which lacks the sixth.

What goes wrong with C♯ 6th?

Letting the high e string ring: mute it with the ring finger, or the open E clashes with the chord.
Not pressing the barre hard enough on the D string, causing a buzz.
Flattening the pinky onto the B string and deadening it.

When to use it

C♯ 6th is the tonic in C♯ major, used in the I–IV–V–I progression C♯–F♯–G♯–C♯. Its bright colour suits rock and pop. Use it to add sparkle to a C♯ major chord in a chorus.

Changing to and from C♯ 6th

Sliding the shape down one fret to the 7th fret gives C 6th; the barre and fingers move as a unit.

Which voicing to use

The 8th fret shape keeps the root C♯ in the bass and is the most common movable form. The C♯6/F inversion at the 1st fret places the third E♯ in the bass, which gives a lighter, more open sound.

How do you play a C♯ 6th chord on guitar?

8th fret

Barre● On the diagram

C♯ 6th is played at the 8th fret as 9 8 8 10 9 ×: barre your index finger across fret 8, middle finger on the low E string at fret 9, pinky finger on the G string at fret 10 and ring finger on the B string at fret 9. The high e string stays muted.

Tip — The index barre must fret the A and D strings at the 8th fret while the pinky stretches to the 10th fret G string, which requires finger independence.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	9	2	C♯ (1)
5 (A)	8	1 (barre)	E♯ (3)
4 (D)	8	1 (barre)	A♯ (6)
3 (G)	10	4	E♯ (3)
2 (B)	9	3	G♯ (5)
1 (e)	muted	—	—

11th fret

Intermediate

C♯ 6th is played at the 11th fret as × × 11 13 11 13: index finger on the D string at fret 11, ring finger on the G string at fret 13, middle finger on the B string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 13. The low E and A strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	muted	—	—
4 (D)	11	1	C♯ (1)
3 (G)	13	3	G♯ (5)
2 (B)	11	2	A♯ (6)
1 (e)	13	4	E♯ (3)

C♯6/E♯ inversion · fret 1

Barre

C♯ 6th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 3 1 2 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, pinky finger on the D string at fret 3 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	1	1 (barre)	E♯ (3)
5 (A)	1	1 (barre)	A♯ (6)
4 (D)	3	4	E♯ (3)
3 (G)	1	1 (barre)	G♯ (5)
2 (B)	2	3	C♯ (1)
1 (e)	1	1 (barre)	E♯ (3)

C♯6/E♯ inversion · fret 2

Intermediate

C♯ 6th is played at the 2nd fret as × × 3 3 2 4: middle finger on the D string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at fret 3, index finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E and A strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	muted	—	—
4 (D)	3	2	E♯ (3)
3 (G)	3	3	A♯ (6)
2 (B)	2	1	C♯ (1)
1 (e)	4	4	G♯ (5)

C♯6/E♯ inversion · fret 6

Barre

C♯ 6th is played at the 6th fret as × 8 6 6 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	8	4	E♯ (3)
4 (D)	6	1 (barre)	G♯ (5)
3 (G)	6	1 (barre)	C♯ (1)
2 (B)	6	1 (barre)	E♯ (3)
1 (e)	6	1 (barre)	A♯ (6)

Common questions

How is C♯ 6th written?

The symbol C♯6 is the most common spelling, and the ASCII root is C#. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.

Can I play C♯ 6th with a barre at the 11th fret?

Yes, the 11th fret shape is a partial barre with the root on the D string. It is useful for higher register playing.

Why is the high e string muted in the 8th fret shape?

The high e is not a chord tone, so it must be muted to keep the voicing clean and avoid a clash.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

C♯ (1)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

E♯ (3)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

A♯ (6)

3 (G)

E♯ (3)

2 (B)

G♯ (5)

1 (e)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

muted

—

4 (D)

C♯ (1)

3 (G)

G♯ (5)

2 (B)

A♯ (6)

1 (e)

E♯ (3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

E♯ (3)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

A♯ (6)

4 (D)

E♯ (3)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

G♯ (5)

2 (B)

C♯ (1)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

E♯ (3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

muted

—

4 (D)

E♯ (3)

3 (G)

A♯ (6)

2 (B)

C♯ (1)

1 (e)

G♯ (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

E♯ (3)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

G♯ (5)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

C♯ (1)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

E♯ (3)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

A♯ (6)