What notes are in the C Major chord?

The C Major chord contains C, E and G.

How do you play C Major on piano?

Place your fingers on C, E and G and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of C Major is a white key.

What chords work well with C Major?

C Major pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.

C Major Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes

The C Major chord is built on the root note C. Its notes are C, E and G.

Transpose

Quality

Short answer

Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.

Notes: C · E · G
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5
Semitones: 0 · 4 · 7
Note: C
Quality: Major
Symbol: C

C Major on piano

3 notes

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Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.

To play C Major on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C, middle finger on E and little finger on G. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of C Major is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.

C Major on guitar

View:

Guitar chord diagram of the C Major chord

Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.

On guitar, C Major is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Strings 3 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.

C · E · G

Try C Major on the virtual piano

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C Major chord notes

Degree	Interval	Semitones	Note
1	Root	0	C
3	Major third	4	E
5	Perfect fifth	7	G

How to use the C Major chord

The C Major chord is built from a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. Start at the root C and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C, E and G. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.

You'll find major chords in almost every style of popular music: rock anthems, country ballads, pop hits and hymns. They commonly appear as the I, IV and V chords in a major key.

In major keys C is the I in C major, the V in F major and the IV in G major; in minor keys it's the III in A minor, the VII in D minor and the VI in E minor.

How C Major differs from similar chords

C and Cm share the root and the fifth, and the only difference is the third: a major third in C, a minor third in Cm. Add a major seventh and it becomes Cmaj7, add a minor seventh and it becomes C7. Of all the chords on this root, the plain major triad is the one that sounds finished.

Songs that use the C Major chord

These well-known tracks all play the C Major chord somewhere - they are not necessarily in that key.

1
Let It Be
The Beatles
2
No Woman No Cry
Bob Marley
3
Piano Man
Billy Joel
4
Every Breath You Take
The Police
5
With Or Without You
U2

Where C Major is used

A major chord is at home as a tonic, and just as useful as the IV or the V of a neighbouring key. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.

As the tonic (I)C major

Home. The loop leaves C Major and keeps coming back to it.

As the IVG major

C Major is the step away from home that makes the return feel like a return.

As the VF major

C Major is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.

Scales that contain C

These scales include C as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.

C Major

C · D · E · F · G · A · B

C Lydian

C · D · E · F♯ · G · A · B

C Mixolydian

C · D · E · F · G · A · B♭

C Harmonic Major

C · D · E · F · G · A♭ · B

C Phrygian Dominant

C · D♭ · E · F · G · A♭ · B♭

C Gypsy Major

C · D♭ · E · F · G · A♭ · B

C Lydian Dominant

C · D · E · F♯ · G · A · B♭

C Hindu

C · D · E · F · G · A♭ · B♭

D Natural Minor

D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C

D Dorian

D · E · F · G · A · B · C

D Mixolydian

D · E · F♯ · G · A · B · C

D Aeolian

D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C

Questions people ask

What notes are in the C Major chord?: The C Major chord contains C, E and G.
Is the C Major chord major or minor?: C Major is a major chord. Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.
What key is the C Major chord in?: In major keys C is the I in C major, the V in F major and the IV in G major; in minor keys it's the III in A minor, the VII in D minor and the VI in E minor.
How do you play C Major on piano?: Place your fingers on C, E and G and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of C Major is a white key.
How do you play C Major on guitar?: Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Strings 3 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
What chords work well with C Major?: C Major pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.

Related chords, scales and keys

Chords

Scales

Keys