Chords in the key of C Major
All 7 diatonic chords of the C Major major key with Roman numeral analysis.
Diatonic chords in C Major
These seven chords naturally form on each scale degree. They are the harmonic backbone of any song in C Major.
| Degree | Roman | Chord | Open chord page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | C | Open chord page |
| 2 | ii | Dm | Open chord page |
| 3 | iii | Em | Open chord page |
| 4 | IV | F | Open chord page |
| 5 | V | G | Open chord page |
| 6 | vi | Am | Open chord page |
| 7 | vii° | B° | Open chord page |
C Major on the piano
Common progressions in C Major
The most popular chord progressions written in this key. Click any progression to hear it.
I – V – vi – IV
I–V–vi–IV in C major
C · G · Am · F
I – IV – V
I–IV–V in C major
C · F · G
ii – V – I
ii–V–I in C major
Dm7 · G7 · Cmaj7
I – vi – IV – V
I–vi–IV–V in C major
C · Am · F · G
I – IV – V – I
I–IV–V–I in C major
C · F · G · C
I7 – IV7 – I7 – V7
I7–IV7–I7–V7 in C major
C7 · F7 · C7 · G7
vi – IV – I – V
vi–IV–I–V in C major
Am · F · C · G
I7 – I7 – I7 – I7 – IV7 – IV7 – I7 – I7 – V7 – IV7 – I7 – V7
I7–I7–I7–I7–IV7–IV7–I7–I7–V7–IV7–I7–V7 in C major
C7 · C7 · C7 · C7 · F7 · F7 · C7 · C7 · G7 · F7 · C7 · G7
Related keys
Tonally close keys you can borrow chords from or modulate to.
Relative key
A Natural Minor
Am · B° · C · Dm · Em · F · G
Frequently asked questions
What chords are in the key of C Major?
The key of C Major contains seven diatonic chords: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, B°. They are built on each degree of the C Major scale.
Why do these chords sound good together?
Every chord in C Major is built using only notes from the C Major scale, so they share the same tonal center and naturally resolve to the I chord.
What are the most common progressions in C Major?
Pop and rock songs in C Major usually rely on I–V–vi–IV, I–IV–V and ii–V–I. Each appears in our progression library with audio.
How do I transpose a song to C Major?
Use our free Chord Transposer, paste the original chords and shift them to C Major. The tool keeps the relationships between chords intact.
Take C Major into your music
Build progressions, find voicings and transpose songs in C Major with our free tools.