Banjo C♯ chord (C Tuning)C♯ major on the 5-string banjo: 1 1 2 3, and 3 more shapes

C# chord chart for 5-string banjo in C Tuning tuning: 1 1 2 3, first position, with the short 5th string marked
C# (C# major) on the 5-string banjo, C Tuning: 1 1 2 3, string 4 to string 1. Fingers are numbered on the dots; copper marks the root; the green ring on the left is the 5th string, solid when it’s in the chord.

Frets, string 4 to string 1: 1 1 2 3 (first position)

  1. String 4 (C): 1st fret, index finger (barre), C♯
  2. String 3 (G): 1st fret, index finger (barre), G♯
  3. String 2 (B): 2nd fret, middle finger, C♯
  4. String 1 (D): 3rd fret, ring finger, E♯
  5. String 5, the short g: open, G, not in the chord

Sounds: C♯ G♯ C♯ E♯  ·  C♯ is C♯, E♯, G♯ (1 · 3 · 5)

Found in: F♯ major (V), D♭ major (I), A♭ major (IV), E♭ mixolydian (♭VII), D♭ mixolydian (I), A♭ mixolydian (IV)

The 5th string: the short g rubs against the G♯ in this shape, a semitone away: some players let it ring, some skip it.

With a capo: on the 1st fret it’s 0 0 1 2 (frets counted from the capo), an open C shape. Spike the 5th string at the 6th fret to keep it in tune with the capo.

C Tuning tuning: gCGBD, the short 5th string first, then strings 4 to 1.

Hear it in the app ›

The link can’t set the tuning: the app starts in open G. Choose C Tuning once in its Settings and it remembers.

More C♯ shapes

  1. 5fr1234gE♯C♯E♯G♯5 6 6 6
    5fr
  2. 8fr1324gG♯E♯G♯C♯8 10 9 11
    8fr
  3. 13fr1123gC♯G♯C♯E♯13 13 14 15
    13fr

Other C♯ chords in C Tuning

C♯C♯mC♯7

Other major chords

GADCBEFB♭E♭F♯C♯A♭

C♯ in other tunings

Open GDouble CSawmillOpen D

All C Tuning banjo chords · Printable chart (PDF) · How to tune · The app