Scale reference
C♯ minor scale
C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B
The C♯ minor scale runs C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, B and then back to C♯. It follows the natural minor step pattern — tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone — which is what makes it minor rather than any other kind of scale.
It uses each letter name once, which is why it is written with 4 sharps.
The notes
The step pattern
Every minor scale uses the same sequence of steps. Change the starting note and the pattern is what you keep.
- C♯1tone
- D♯2semi
- E3tone
- F♯4tone
- G♯5semi
- A6tone
- B7tone
- C♯8
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Name | Interval from C♯ | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | Tonic | Perfect unison | 0 |
| 2 | D♯ | Supertonic | Major second | 2 |
| 3 | E | Mediant | Minor third | 3 |
| 4 | F♯ | Subdominant | Perfect fourth | 5 |
| 5 | G♯ | Dominant | Perfect fifth | 7 |
| 6 | A | Submediant | Minor sixth | 8 |
| 7 | B | Subtonic | Minor seventh | 10 |
The other two minor forms
Minor comes in three forms. They share the first five notes and differ near the top.
| Form | Notes | Why it exists |
|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B | The plain form, matching the key signature. |
| Harmonic minor | C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B♯ | Raises the seventh degree, restoring the leading tone. |
| Melodic minor (ascending) | C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B♯ | Raises the sixth as well, smoothing the step-and-a-half gap. |
A piece in C♯ minor will move between all three depending on what the harmony needs at that moment. See minor scales for how they are chosen.
Key signature
C♯ minor is the scale of the key of C♯ minor, which has 4 sharps. The key page lists the seven chords built on these notes.