Chords in the key of C Major
All 7 diatonic chords of the C Major major key with Roman numeral analysis.
Short answer
The key of C Major contains seven diatonic chords: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, B°. They're built on each degree of the C Major scale.
- Tonic
- C
- Mode
- Major
- Scale
- C D E F G A B
- Relative key
- A Natural Minor
- Dominant
- G
- Chords
- 7
Diatonic chords in C Major
These seven chords naturally form on each scale degree. They're the harmonic backbone of any song in C Major.
| Degree | Roman | Chord | Hear | 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
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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
Questions people ask
- 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're 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.