C major (C) chord on guitar

Major triad on C: the notes of the C chord are C – E – G.

Dots show:

Open positioneasy

A shape, fret 3medium

Barre, fret 5medium

E shape, fret 8hard

Position 8easy

C shape, fret 12medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the C chord sounds like

A major triad sounds stable and bright: root, major third and perfect fifth. Most songs are built on major chords – in a major key, chords I, IV and V are all major.

Notes of the C chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	C	root
3	E	major third (4 semitones)
5	G	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Open position

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): fret 1, index finger (C4)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, middle finger (E3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, ring finger (C3)
String 6 (E): not played

A shape, fret 3, barre at fret 3

String 1 (e): fret 3, index finger (G4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, ring finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, ring finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 5, ring finger (G3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, index finger (C3)
String 6 (E): not played

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 3; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Barre, fret 5, barre at fret 5

String 1 (e): not played
String 2 (B): fret 5, index finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 5, index finger (G3)
String 5 (A): fret 7, ring finger (E3)
String 6 (E): fret 8, little finger (C3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 5; your other fingers press the higher frets.

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing C with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a C chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 3
shape: A

Capo: fret 5
shape: G

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The C chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

C major: I (tonic)
F major: V (dominant)
G major: IV (subdominant)
F minor: V (dominant)
D minor: VII
A minor: III
E minor: VI

Similar chords and substitutes

If C is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Am – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
Em – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
Cmaj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
Csus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Simpler versions

C5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

C7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Cmaj7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
C6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Cadd9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C chord?

C, E, G. The root is C; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play C on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a A shape at fret 3 or a G shape at fret 5.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the C chord written?

The chord symbol is C, and its full name is C major.