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Chord & Fret

Harmonic field of C# minor on cavaquinho

C# minor: C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B. In the shapes below, the tonic opens with the bass on E. On the cavaquinho, four steel strings tuned D–G–B–D pack the chord into a small, bright space — every finger counts. Its four steel strings give a bright, sharp attack that cuts through the mix and drives the beat.

C#m7, 2 4 2 2C#m71423EBC#E
i · tonic2 4 2 2
D#m7b5, 1 2 2 4D#m7b51234D#AC#F#
ii° · subdominant1 2 2 4
Emaj7, 2 1 0 1Emaj7312EG#BD#
III · tonic2 1 0 1
F#m7, 4 2 2 2F#m73111F#AC#E
iv · subdominant4 2 2 2
G#m7, 6 4 4 4G#m743111G#BD#F#
v · dominant6 4 4 4
Amaj7, 2 2 2 6Amaj721114EAC#G#
VI · tonic2 2 2 6
B7, 4 4 4 7B741114F#BD#A
VII · dominant4 4 4 7

This is the natural-minor field. In practice the v often becomes V (major) or V7 — borrowed from the harmonic minor — to create the leading tone that pulls back to the tonic.

These are the first positions of every degree of C# minor on cavaquinho. In Chord & Fret, the Circle of Fifths opens the full field — every degree with all its positions, audio and the key's secondary dominants. Open in Chord & Fret →

See the full harmonic field of C# minor →