C# Chord on Ukulele
C# = C# – F – G# (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th)
C sharp major is the point where the ukulele's easy-open-chord streak runs out entirely: none of C#, F, and G# — its root, third, and fifth — sit on any of the open GCEA strings, so the whole hand has to fret something. The workable shape barres the index finger flat across the G, C, and E strings at the first fret, then stretches the pinky two frets further to the A string's fourth fret for a doubled root. It's essentially C major's familiar one-finger shape pushed up a semitone and turned inside out: what was three open strings and one fretted note becomes one small barre plus one reaching finger, with nothing left open at all.
Spelled with sharps here, this chord is identical in pitch to Db major, and most working musicians actually think of it that way — Db is the friendlier name in keys built around brass and reed instruments, so a ukulele arrangement transposed down from a horn chart is a common place to meet this exact shape. On its own terms, C# major functions as the V chord in the key of F# (six sharps, a genuinely rare home key on ukulele) and, more usefully in everyday playing, as a Picardy third: the bright major triad that a song in C# minor resolves onto for its very last chord, trading the minor key's darker color for an unexpectedly warm final cadence. Because the voicing keeps its four notes clustered within the first four frets rather than sprawling up the neck, it retains a compact, close harmony even without any open string ringing beneath it.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Build the barre first — index finger flat across the G, C, and E strings, checked one string at a time for buzz — before adding the pinky's reach to the A string's fourth fret, since trying to place both elements at once is what usually causes the whole shape to collapse. It helps to think of this chord as literally D major's own barre-and-open-A shape slid down one fret with the open A string traded for a fretted one, since comparing the two directly clarifies exactly which finger is doing new work. If the pinky stretch feels unstable at first, try the ring finger instead and let the pinky rest — either finger reaches the same fret, and consistency matters more than which digit does it.
Common Progressions
- V - I in the key of F# (C# - F#)
- A Picardy-third ending: i - I (C#m - C#), closing a minor-key song on its bright parallel major
- Respelled as Db, it serves as IV in the key of Ab (Db - Ab)
- Db - Gb, functioning as V in the key of Gb in horn-transcribed repertoire
FAQ
- Why does C# major need the whole hand fretting, unlike C major?
- None of C#, F, and G# happen to sit on any of the ukulele's open G, C, E, or A pitches, so every one of the chord's four fretted points has to be actively pressed rather than left ringing.
- Is C# major the same chord as Db major?
- Yes — they're enharmonically identical, the same three pitches spelled with sharps or flats depending on which key signature the surrounding music uses; Db is the more common spelling in practice.
- What is a Picardy third, and how does C# major use it?
- It's the technique of ending a minor-key piece on that key's parallel major chord instead of its minor tonic; a song in C# minor can close on C# major for an unexpectedly bright final cadence.
- How does this shape relate to D major's barre-plus-open-string shape?
- It's essentially the same barre technique moved down one fret, with the open A string that D major leaves ringing now fretted at the fourth fret instead — the identical hand posture, one semitone lower and with the fourth string no longer open.
- Is there an easier alternative fingering for C# major?
- Some players substitute the ring finger for the pinky on the fourth-fret A-string note, which can feel more secure for hands that find a pinky stretch unstable, without changing any of the chord's actual pitches.
- Does C# major appear often in ukulele songbooks?
- Rarely under that exact name — it's far more commonly encountered respelled as Db major in charts transposed from horn or piano arrangements written in flat keys.
- Does raising the whole ukulele's tuning ever make this chord easier?
- Some players tune a half-step high specifically to turn awkward sharp/flat shapes into their neighboring open-position cousins — under that tuning, fingers shaped like plain C major actually sound as C# major, though the tradeoff is that every other chord shifts too.
- How many total fretted points does C# major need compared to C major?
- Four fretted contacts against C major's one, since the barre counts as a single motion but still requires deliberate finger placement across three strings, plus the separate pinky reach — a real jump in coordination for moving just one semitone.
C# on other instruments: C# on Guitar, C# on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.