C major chord (C)

C major is a 3-note major chord: C – E – G. It sounds stable, bright and cheerful. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesC – E – G
Formula1 – 3 – 5
SymbolC · CM · Cmaj
TypeMajor chord

C major on guitar

Open position
Barre at fret 3 (A shape)
Barre at fret 8 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (open position)

Place finger 3 (ring) at fret 3 on the 5th string (A).
Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D).
Place finger 1 (index) at fret 1 on string 2 (B).
The 3rd and 1st strings are played open.
Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (C). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

C major on piano

In root position, play C – E – G from bottom to top with fingers 1, 3 and 5 of your right hand (thumb, middle and pinky). With your left hand you usually play just the root (C) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: E – G – C
Second inversion: G – C – E

C major on ukulele

Open position
From fret 3

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of C major

C1 · root
E3 · major third
G5 · perfect fifth

It's the basic chord of almost any song: it works as a point of arrival (the tonic) and as a passing chord.

Progressions with C

The basic progression: I – IV – V – I

C
F
G
C

With these three chords you can play along to hundreds of songs in C major.

The pop progression: I – V – vi – IV

It's the backbone of a huge number of ballads, pop songs and reggaeton hits.

Which keys contain C major?

C belongs to 6 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
C major	I
F major	V
G major	IV
D natural minor	VII
E natural minor	VI
A natural minor	III

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C major chord?

C major (C) has 3 notes: C (root), E (major third), G (perfect fifth).

How do you play C major on guitar?

The easiest shape is in open position: x 3 2 0 1 0 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Finger 3 (ring) on fret 3 of the 5th string (A). Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D). Finger 1 (index) on fret 1 of the 2nd string (B). The 3rd and 1st strings are open. Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

What is the difference between C major and C minor?

Only the third changes: C major uses E and C minor uses E♭. That note gives the chord its bright (major) or darker (minor) sound.

How do you write C major in chord notation?

It is written C; you may also see CM or Cmaj. Letter notation uses C, D, E, F, G, A, and B for the notes do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and si.

Want to play whole songs?

A teacher shows you how to change chords smoothly, strum and play along to your favorite songs, in online lessons or at home in Bogotá.

Message us on WhatsApp See lessons