Build the sound
Play C♯ – E – G♯ – A♯ individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · C♯m6 · Guitar
C♯m6 voicings on guitar
C♯m6 is spelled C♯ – E – G♯ – A♯ (1 ♭3 5 6) — a minor tonic with a Dorian colour, or a rootless 9th of a dominant a fourth below. Here are 5 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell, rootless a, rootless b. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
5 ways to play C♯m6.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Drop 2
G♯ · C♯ · ETake the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings E-A-D, frets 4-4-2.
Drop 3
E · C♯ · G♯Drop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings D-B-e, frets 2-2-4.
Shell (1–7–3)
C♯ · ERoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings A-D, frets 4-2.
Rootless A (3–5–7–9)
E · G♯ · D♯Bill Evans-style left-hand voicing: the third on the bottom, the ninth on top, the bass player supplies the root. Strings D-G-B, frets 2-1-4.
Rootless B (7–9–3–5)
D♯ · E · G♯The companion rootless voicing with the seventh on the bottom. Alternate A and B so the top voice moves by step through a ii–V–I. Strings D-B-e, frets 1-5-4 (position 1).
Your next 10 minutes
Make C♯ Minor 6th part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of C♯m6. Notice which note is highest in each. Repeat the two shapes with the smallest comfortable hand movement, leaving a beat of silence between them.
Comp with space
Play C♯m6 on beats 2 and 4 at 60 bpm for four bars, then on the “and” of beat 2 for four bars. Keep the same notes while changing the rhythm. Mute unused strings and test each fretted note for buzz.
Listen for this: The chord tones are C♯, E, G♯, A♯. a minor tonic with a Dorian colour, or a rootless 9th of a dominant a fourth below. A fuller voicing is not automatically better: leave room for the melody and bass.
Understand the sound
C♯m6: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives C♯m6 its identity?
This chord has a minor third and a natural sixth. The sixth is not a flat sixth; compare those notes over the same minor triad.
Here the third is E, and degree 6 is A♯. Play C♯ in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Choose a useful voicing
Start with the smallest displayed shape you can play cleanly. Move its highest note into a comfortable register and listen for a clear melody above the chord.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with C♯ on string 5, fret 4. The next note E is on string 5, fret 7. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: C♯ · E · G♯ · A♯. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
Behind the voicings
Every C♯m6 chord tone on the fretboard.
Reference
C♯m6 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | unison |
| ♭3 | E | minor 3rd |
| 5 | G♯ | perfect 5th |
| 6 | A♯ | major 6th |
Arpeggio: C♯m6 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: D♭ Melodic minor.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp C♯m6 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
C♯m6 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in C♯m6?
C♯, E, G♯, A♯ — chord tones 1 ♭3 5 6. Rootless voicings add the 9th, D♯, and leave the root to the bass.
What is the easiest C♯m6 voicing on guitar?
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings A, D: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like C♯m6.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing C♯ E G♯ A♯ and drop the second note from the top an octave: G♯ – C♯ – E. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does C♯m6 appear?
C♯m6 is a minor tonic with a Dorian colour, or a rootless 9th of a dominant a fourth below. Its character is minor but bright.
Keep going
Minor 6th voicings in every other key.
Same chord on piano · Minor 6th hub.
Other chords from C♯