C♯ Minor Scale
The C♯ minor scale has seven notes: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A and B. It has 4 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯), and it is the relative minor of E major.
Notes
- C♯1
- D♯2
- E♭3
- F♯4
- G♯5
- A♭6
- B♭7
Step pattern: W – H – W – W – H – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step)
| Degree | Note | Interval from C♯ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | Root |
| 2 | D♯ | Major 2nd |
| ♭3 | E | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | F♯ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | G♯ | Perfect 5th |
| ♭6 | A | Minor 6th |
| ♭7 | B | Minor 7th |
On the piano
On the guitar
Root Scale tone
Key signature
C♯ minor has 4 sharps: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯. See it on the circle of fifths →
Chords in the key of C♯ minor
| Numeral | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | C♯m | C♯m7 |
| ii° | D♯dim | D♯m7♭5 |
| III | E | Emaj7 |
| iv | F♯m | F♯m7 |
| v | G♯m | G♯m7 |
| VI | A | Amaj7 |
| VII | B | B7 |
Common progressions
- Classic minorC♯m – F♯m – G♯mi – iv – v
- Epic / pop minorC♯m – A – E – Bi – VI – III – VII
- DescendingC♯m – B – A – G♯mi – VII – VI – v
Related scales
Practise it
- Alternate picking on one stringTechnique · moved up 4 frets into C♯
- Palm-muted gallopMetal · moved up 9 frets into C♯
Explore it on the full fretboard · Piano scale explorer · Metronome