Learn › C Sharp Minor Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
New Released in April 2026
C Sharp Minor Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
The C sharp minor triad on guitar does not need six strings. Three notes, C#, E and G#, on three strings give you C#m anywhere on the neck, in root position, 1st and 2nd inversion.
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- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Twelve C#m shapes, string set by string set
Start with the top three strings: the shapes are small and the top note is clear. Then move the same idea to the lower sets.
G-B-e strings
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
D-G-B strings
1st inversion
2nd inversion
Root position
A-D-G strings
Root position
1st inversion
2nd inversion
E-A-D strings
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
What an inversion changes
The notes never change, only their order. With E or G# at the bottom, C#m sounds lighter and lets the melody note on top change.
Darker than major: the middle note of the major shape moves down one fret.
C#m inversions: the frets
| String set | Root position | 1st inversion | 2nd inversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-B-e strings | x x x 6 5 4 | x x x 9 9 9 | x x x 1 2 0 |
| D-G-B strings | x x 11 9 9 x | x x 2 1 2 x | x x 6 6 5 x |
| A-D-G strings | x 4 2 1 x x | x 7 6 6 x x | x 11 11 9 x x |
| E-A-D strings | 9 7 6 x x x | 12 11 11 x x x | 4 4 2 x x x |
Frets from the low E string to the high E string; x = string not played.
Make C#m triads automatic
- Learn the three shapes on the top strings first, slowly, saying the bottom note each time.
- Climb the neck through the three shapes and come back down without stopping.
- Stay near fret 7 and find C#m on two different string sets.
- Last, switch between C#m and another triad in the same area of the neck.
Learn one string set per week and in a month the whole neck is yours.
How to move between the shapes
On the G-B-e strings, the shapes go up the neck in this order: 2nd inversion (fret 2) → root position (fret 6) → 1st inversion (fret 9). The top notes along the way are E, G#, C#.
Around fret 7, without moving the hand: G-B-e strings 6-5-4; D-G-B strings 6-6-5; A-D-G strings 7-6-6; E-A-D strings 9-7-6.
Train chord changes on your guitar
ChordRunner listens to your guitar through the microphone: a chord name appears, you play it in any shape, and the game hears if the notes are right. A MIDI keyboard works too.
Play the demoCommon questions
What are the inversions of C#m on guitar?
Root position (C# at the bottom), 1st inversion (E at the bottom) and 2nd inversion (G# at the bottom). On the top three strings: 2nd inversion 1-2-0; Root position 6-5-4; 1st inversion 9-9-9.
Which C#m triad shape is the easiest?
Usually the lowest one on the top strings, 1-2-0, because it sits near the nut.
What does a C#m triad sound like?
Darker than major: the middle note of the major shape moves down one fret.
Can I practise C#m with a game that listens to my guitar?
Yes. ChordRunner hears your guitar through the microphone and checks the chord in any shape or inversion. A USB MIDI keyboard works too.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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