C# piano chord — the keys, the inversions, the theory

C# is a major chord built from C#, E#, G#. Below: the keys to press, every inversion with its own diagram, the intervals it is made of, the keys whose scale contains it, and a progression that actually uses it. Press any diagram to hear it.

C#

C# · E# · G#

Piano keyboardC4C5

Semitones above the root: 0 – 4 – 7

A major third at the bottom is what makes this bright and settled.

Inversions of C#

  • Root position

    C# · E# · G# · bass C#

  • Inversion 1

    E# · G# · C# · bass E#

  • Inversion 2

    G# · C# · E# · bass G#

Same chord, different note at the bottom. Press a diagram to hear it — inversions are how you move between chords without jumping your hand across the keyboard.

Keys that contain C#

  • F#V
  • DbI
  • AbIV

In F# it does this job: I – V – vi – IV

  1. F#
  2. C#
  3. D#m
  4. B

Questions