Guitar scale · natural minor, Aeolian mode
C# Minor Scale
Emotional, sad, and epic tones defined by the classic natural minor scale.
Tap any note to hear it.
How to play C# Minor on guitar
Find the root first: C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C# on the neck; the gold ones are the other chord tones (3rd, 5th and 7th), which are the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 9–13. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
C# Minor uses exactly the same notes as E major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the E Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C# |
| 2 | D# |
| ♭3 | E |
| 4 | F# |
| 5 | G# |
| ♭6 | A |
| ♭7 | B |
Fretwise for Android · Free
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Questions
- What notes are in the C# Minor Scale?
- The C# Minor Scale has 7 notes: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B.
- What is the formula of the minor scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play C# Minor on the guitar?
- The root C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 9–13, and four more positions connect it up the neck.