45678 ××× 134 EADGBe
Intermediate

C#5 Guitar Chord

A power chord rooted at C#. Essential for heavy metal and hard rock riffing.

Also known as

  • Db5
  • C# 5
  • Db 5
  • D-flat5
  • C-sharp5
  • D-flat 5
  • C# fifth
  • Db fifth
  • C-sharp 5
  • D-flat fifth
  • C-sharp fifth
  • C# power chord
  • Db power chord
  • D-flat power chord
  • C-sharp power chord

How to Play This Chord

Position your fingers on the fretboard as shown in the diagram. The vertical lines represent the strings, from low E (left) to high E (right), and the horizontal lines are the frets. Numbers inside the dots indicate which finger to use: 1 (index), 2 (middle), 3 (ring), 4 (pinky). An X means don't play that string; an O means play it open. A bar spanning multiple strings means one finger presses across all of them at once — this is known as a barre chord.

Tips & Tricks

This power chord sits at the 4th fret on the A string or the 9th fret on the low E. If you're playing fast punk or metal riffs, the 4th-fret position is easier to reach from open-position chords. Use the pad of your index finger to deaden the unused strings.

There are many ways to play this chord. Try these:

eBGDAE 4 6 6 4 6 6 4 6
eBGDAE 6 6 4 6 6 4 6 6
eBGDAE 4 6 6 4 6 6 4 6

See how C#5 works with other chords — Progression Generator