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C-sharp Major Chord
The C-sharp Major Chord is C-sharp, E-sharp, and G-sharp. The E-sharp is the white key F, so the chord is black-white-black: two black keys on the outside with a white key in the middle. It's the same set of keys as D-flat major, just spelled for sharp keys, and it sits comfortably under the hand once we let the fingers move into the black keys.
How to play the C-sharp Major Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the C-sharp Major Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.
The C-sharp Major Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the C♯ major chord are stacked in thirds with C♯ on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| C-sharp Major Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | C♯ E♯ G♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C♯ |
The C-sharp Major Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (E♯) becomes the bottom note, and the root (C♯) jumps up to the top.
| C-sharp Major Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | E♯ G♯ C♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C♯6 or C♯/E♯ |
The C-sharp Major Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (G♯) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (E♯) goes to the top.
| C-sharp Major Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | G♯ C♯ E♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C♯6/4 or C♯/G♯ |
C-sharp Major Chord theory and function
A major chord is the most settled sound in tonal music. What it does depends on the key around it: it can be home, it can lead away from home, or it can pull back toward it.
The C♯ major chord is the dominant (V) in F♯ minor. On the keyboard this is the same chord as D♭ major, and the spelling follows the key. The D♭ major chord is the tonic (I) in D♭ major, the dominant (V) in G♭ major, and the subdominant (IV) in A♭ major. In minor keys, it is the mediant (III) in B♭ minor, the submediant (VI) in F minor, and the subtonic (VII) in E♭ minor.
Three chords, I, IV, and V, account for a great deal of the hymns, folk songs, and early classical pieces a student will meet. In D♭ major that is D♭ – G♭ – A♭ – D♭. Try listening for the job the chord is doing: after the dominant it sounds like arriving, and after the tonic it sounds like stepping away.
Other chords built on C-sharp
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