Let’s take a look at notes and chords in the key of C sharp. This note/chord is the enharmonic equivalent of D flat. This means that it makes use of the same key(s) on your piano keyboard.
Firstly, let’s talk about the C sharp major scale. Like other major scales, the C# major scale follows the formula, root note, whole tone, whole tone, half tone, whole tone, whole tone, whole tone, half tone. The notes of the C# major scale are therefore, C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#.
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There’s a total of 7 sharps in this scale as seen above. Every note in this scale is sharp. The relative minor of C sharp major is A sharp minor.
Let’s now take a look at the chords in the key of C sharp. Each chord is based on one of the notes in the major scale. In other words, each note is a root note for one of the chords in the key of C sharp. To come up with these chords, we follow the pattern, major minor minor major major minor diminished.
Therefore the triad chords in the key of C sharp are C#maj, D#min, E#min, F#maj, G#maj, A#min and B#dim. The four note extended chords based on the C sharp major scale are C#maj7, D#min7, E#min7, F#maj7, G#7, A#min7 and B#m7b5.
In the list of chords that follows this paragraph, roman numerals indicate the position of each chord in the scale. Capital letters are used for major chords. These are chord I, chord IV and chord V. Small letters are used for the minor chords, chord ii, chord iii and chord vi, as well as for the diminished chord vii°.
- I – C sharp major (and C sharp major seventh)
- ii – D sharp minor (and D sharp minor seventh)
- iii – E sharp minor (and E sharp minor seventh)
- IV – F sharp major (and F sharp major seventh)
- V – G sharp major (and G sharp dominant seventh)
- vi – A sharp minor (and A sharp minor seventh)
- vii° – B sharp diminished (and B sharp minor seventh flat five)
Watch this lesson:
Piano Chords In The Key Of C Sharp
The following diagram shows you all the basic piano chords in the key of C sharp as discussed above.
What are the notes of these chords?
Let’s start with the triads.
- C sharp major (C# – E# – G#)
- D sharp minor (D# – F# – A#)
- E sharp minor (E# – G# – B#)
- F sharp major (F# – A# – C#)
- G sharp major – (G# – B# – D#)
- A sharp minor – (A# – C# – E#)
- B sharp diminished – (B# – D# – F#)
And now, the four note chords.
- C# major seventh (C# – E# – G# – B#)
- D# minor seventh(D# – F# – A# – C#)
- E# minor seventh (E# – G# – B# – D#)
- F# major (F# – A# – C# – E#)
- G# major – (G# – B# – D# – F#)
- A# minor seventh – (A# – C# – E# – G#)
- B# minor seventh flat five- (B# – D# – F# – A#)
Common chord progressions in the key of C sharp are as follows:
- Chord progression 1: I – IV – V (C# – F# – G#)
- Chord progression 2: I – vi – IV – V (C# – A#m – F# – G#)
- Chord progression 3: ii – V – I (D#m7 – G#7 – C#maj7)
The following is the C sharp key signature as well as the C sharp major scale on the treble and bass clef.
The following is a diagram showing the C# major scale on piano.
Go here to learn about minor, major and diminished piano chords and their respective keys.
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