C#m (C sharp minor) is one of those guitar chords that sounds scary until you see the chord chart. It is actually a very easy chord to play.

Playing the C#m Chord

Here is an easy version of C#m that is very common. It is played as a simple barre chord in the Am shape on the 4th fret.

The finger position for this C#m are: Bar the 4th fret from 1st string to 5th string, 3rd finger on the 6th fret 4th string, 4th finger on the 6th fret 3rd string, and second finger on the 5th fret 2nd string. Please see the diagram below.

C#m First position

Chord Variations

Another common version of C sharp minor is this one that is played on the 9th fret in the Em shape as a barre chord.

C#m 9th fret

This 3rd version of C#m can be played with or without the bass note on the 5th string.

I have smaller hands and find it a tough stretch to get the c# on the 5th string. You can mute the string, or simply not play the 5th and 6th strings.

C#m open

Up at the 6th fret you will find another version of this chord that has a little different color.

These variations can help you to get more subtleties out of your guitar playing. Try this one out.

C#m 6th fret

And lastly, we have this cool version played on the 9th fret that lets the open E string ring. It has a nice bassy sound.

C#m 9th fret open E

Try all the variations of the C#m chord on your guitar to see how they sound different and discover which is your favorite.

For more tips, see how to make your guitar chords easy to play. Also, learn more about guitar chords for beginners including how to take the chords you just learned and move them around the fretboard for new and exciting sounds.