Dictionary: Db Blues Scale

We assume that you want to play something bluesy over a D-flat major progression (or something similar).  Otherwise, you might want to try the C-sharp blues scale instead.

Dictionary: Dbm Chord

If you're looking for a simpler D-flat minor chord, check out this entry from May 2010.  Here is a non-standard, non-D?-F?-A? spelling of the Dbm chord, which might make sense in certain scales:

Dictionary: C#m Chord

If you're looking for a simpler C-sharp minor chord for guitar, check out this entry from August 2007.

Dictionary: C# Minor Scale

This scale is the relative minor of E major.  In the table below, you'll enter C# harmonic minor territory with the chords to the right:

C#m	E	D#dim	Eaug
F#m	A	Am	F#dim
G#m	B	G#	B#dim

Four #Guitar #Chords / Seven #Modes with Five Sharps for the #Fretboard

Seven #Modes with Five Sharps / Four #Chords for #Keyboard

C# Blues Scale (Jam Session 108l with Guitar, Bass, and Drums)

Chords for Jam Session 108l:  C#sus2 C# A

    C#sus2 C# C#sus2 C# (two bars)             A (two bars) 

e |-4------4------------|--------------------|-5-------------------|
B |-4------6------------|--------------------|-5-------------------|
G |-6------6------------|--------------------|-6-------------------|
D |-6------6------------|--------------------|-7-------------------|
A |-4------4------------|--------------------|-7-------------------|
E |---------------------|--------------------|-5-------------------|

    C#sus2 C# C#sus2 C# (two bars)             A (two bars) 

G |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D |--------6---------6--|--------------------|---------------------|
A |-4---------4---------|--------------------|-0------7--0------7--|
E |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

Tweet to us @DeRamosMusic!

Podcast subscribers: If these jam session notes look jumbled, please visit http://www.chorddujour.com - Thanks!

C# Minor Penatonic Scale (Jam Session 108i with Guitar, Bass, and Drums)

Chords for Jam Session 108i:  C#m E F# A

Sample bass line:

    C#m                   E                    F# 

G |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A |---------9---7-------|---------9---7------|-9---9---9---7-------|
E |-9---9---------------|-0---0--------------|---------------------|

    A 

G |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A |-0---0---9---7-------|--------------------|---------------------|
E |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

Tweet to us @DeRamosMusic!

Podcast subscribers: If these jam session notes look jumbled, please visit http://www.chorddujour.com - Thanks!

C#m Chord (Jam Session 108h with Guitar, Bass, and Drums)

Chords for Jam Session 108h:  C#m A E B

    C#m                   A                    E 

e |-4-------------------|-0------------------|-0-------------------|
B |-5-------------------|-2------------------|-0-------------------|
G |-6-------------------|-2------------------|-1-------------------|
D |-6-------------------|-2------------------|-2-------------------|
A |-4-------------------|-0------------------|-2-------------------|
E |---------------------|--------------------|-0-------------------|

    B 

e |-2-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
B |-4-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
G |-4-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D |-4-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A |-2-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
E |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

Tweet to us @DeRamosMusic!

Podcast subscribers: If these jam session notes look jumbled, please visit http://www.chorddujour.com - Thanks!

Changing up the Rhythm Guitar in C#, 6/8

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

We're going to arpeggiate the the thinnest strings of every chord to change up the Wednesday's rhythm guitar part. Remember, the time signature counts something like 1-2-3-4-2-3:

   C#m       C#m7        A        Aadd9
e|--------4--------0--|--------5--------0--|
B|-----5--------0-----|-----5--------0-----|
G|--6--------6--------|--6--------6--------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|

    E        E5          B        Badd11
e|--------7--------0--|--------7--------0--|
B|-----9--------0-----|-----7--------0-----|
G|--9--------9--------|--8--------8--------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|

Finishing the Second Guitar Part in C#, 6/8

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

We're going to try for a minimalist second guitar part to complement yesterday's strumming. To finish the part, we'll incorporate major 3rds, suspended 4ths, lowered 5ths, and octaves for the last two chords. Remember, the time signature counts something like 1-2-3-4-2-3:

   C#m       C#m7        A        Aadd9
e|--------------------|--------------------|
B|--------------------|--------------------|
G|--------------------|--------------------|
D|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
A|--4--4--4--X--X--X--|--X--X--X--X--X--X--|
E|-----------4--4--4--|--5--5--5--0--0--0--|

    E        E5          B        Badd11
e|--------------------|--------------------|
B|--------------------|--------------------|
G|--------------------|--------------------|
D|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--------------------|
A|--X--X--X--X--X--X--|--6--6--6--7--7--7--|
E|--0--0--0--7--7--7--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|

Building a Second Guitar Part in C#, 6/8

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

We're going to try for a minimalist second guitar part to complement yesterday's strumming. We'll incorporate power chords, lowered 5ths, and octaves for the first two chords. Then we'll come back tomorrow for the last two chords. Remember, the time signature counts something like 1-2-3-4-2-3:

   C#m       C#m7        A        Aadd9
e|--------------------|--------------------|
B|--------------------|--------------------|
G|--------------------|--------------------|
D|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
A|--4--4--4--X--X--X--|--X--X--X--X--X--X--|
E|-----------4--4--4--|--5--5--5--0--0--0--|

    E        E5          B        Badd11
e|--7--7--7--0--0--0--|--7--7--7--0--0--0--|
B|--9--9--9--0--0--0--|--7--7--7--0--0--0--|
G|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|--8--8--8--8--8--8--|
D|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|
A|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|
E|--------------------|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|

Thin Strings Ring in C#, 6/8

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

We're going to let the two thinnest strings ring at the "4-2-3" count at the end of the measure. Remember, the time signature counts something like 1-2-3-4-2-3:

   C#m       C#m7        A        Aadd9
e|--4--4--4--0--0--0--|--5--5--5--0--0--0--|
B|--5--5--5--0--0--0--|--5--5--5--0--0--0--|
G|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
D|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
A|--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
E|--------------------|--5--5--5--5--5--5--|

    E        E5          B        Badd11
e|--7--7--7--0--0--0--|--7--7--7--0--0--0--|
B|--9--9--9--0--0--0--|--7--7--7--0--0--0--|
G|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|--8--8--8--8--8--8--|
D|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|
A|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|
E|--------------------|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|

Making It Four Chords (and the Truth) in C#, 6/8

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Let's add the E and B chords to the C# minor progression. Remember, the time signature counts something like 1-2-3-4-2-3:

   C#m                   A
e|--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--5--5--5--5--5--5--|
B|--5--5--5--5--5--5--|--5--5--5--5--5--5--|
G|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
D|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
A|--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
E|--------------------|--5--5--5--5--5--5--|

    E                    B
e|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
B|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
G|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|--8--8--8--8--8--8--|
D|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|
A|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--9--9--9--9--9--9--|
E|--------------------|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|

Adding an A Chord to the C# 6/8 Groove

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Let's add an A chord to the C#m chord. Remember, the time signature counts something like 1-2-3-4-2-3:

   C#m                   A
e|--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--5--5--5--5--5--5--|
B|--5--5--5--5--5--5--|--5--5--5--5--5--5--|
G|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
D|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
A|--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
E|--------------------|--5--5--5--5--5--5--|

C# Chord Progression in 6/8 Time

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Like last week, we'll use a weeklong example to write a piece of a song. This time it's a nice 6/8 chord progression starting with a C#m chord. Remember, the time signature counts something like 1-2-3-4-2-3:

   C#m
e|--4--4--4--4--4--4--|-----
B|--5--5--5--5--5--5--|-----
G|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|-----
D|--6--6--6--6--6--6--|-----
A|--4--4--4--4--4--4--|-----
E|--------------------|-----

Lesson #48: Power Chords in C# Minor (Guitar, Intermediate)

This is essentially a beginner lesson (power chords in E major), but realizing that C#m is the relative minor of E major takes a bit more musical theory knowledge: C#5, D#5 (here as Eb5), E5, F#5, G#5, A5, and B5.

Lesson #46: Seven Chords in C# Minor (Guitar, Beginner, Intermediate)

Yes, these chords are like the lesson in E, but we're starting with C#m, as it is the relative minor of E major.

Now, the G# minor chord (G# B D#) is in line with the C# natural minor scale: C# D# E F# G# A B C#, but the G# major (G# B# D#) chord is in line with the C# harmonic minor scale: C# D# E F# G# A B# C#.

Lesson #44: C# Minor and the Capo / Barre (Guitar, Beginner)

You probably already know how to play this voicing for the C-sharp minor chord:


It is basically using your index finger as a barre across the 4th fret, and essentially the same as using a capo at the 4th fret and playing the basic Am chord:


Try either placing a capo on or using your index finger to barre the 9th fret and play the Em chord:


If you capo or barre at the 11th fret and play the Dm chord, you're actually playing the C#m chord:

C#m9 (Guitar, Intermediate)

Unlike yesterday's C#madd9 chord, the C#m9 chord adds a minor-7th and a 9th note to the C#m chord. Well, the voicing illustrated above omits the perfect 5th to make way for the 7th note:

A string: C# (root)
D string: E (minor 3rd)
G string: B (minor 7th)
B string: D# (added 9th)

And that's C#m9!