Chords in the Key of C

C major is the key with no sharps and no flats, which makes it the clearest place to see how the chords of a key work. The chords in the key of C are C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim.

Learn the pattern here (major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished) and you can work out the chords of any major key: it never changes, only the letter names do.

C Major Chords and Their Roman Numerals

Stack thirds on each note of C D E F G A B (the white keys of a piano) and you get these chords. The roman numerals are what lets you move a progression to another key: I-IV-V is C - F - G here and G - C - D in G.

The last column shows the four-note version of each chord. G7 is the only dominant seventh, and it is the chord that most wants to resolve to C.

Guitar Diagrams for Every Chord in C

F is the only real hurdle, since the shape shown is the full barre. If it does not ring yet, start with the small F (xx3211) or with Fmaj7 (xx3210), and come back to the barre later.

C

Dm

Em

F

G

Am

Bdim

Listen to C - F - G - Am

The I-IV-V-vi set in one loop, one bar per chord. Most pop songs use some ordering of these four chords.

Three Progressions Every Guitarist Plays in C

These are the loops you will find again and again in songbooks written in C.

Axis Chord Progression: C - G - Am - F

C - G - Am - F (I-V-vi-IV)

The four-chord song. Let It Be and No Woman, No Cry are both built on this loop. In C it is all open chords except F, so it is a good reason to finally learn the barre.

Full page: chords in five keys and songs

50s Chord Progression: C - Am - F - G

C - Am - F - G (I-vi-IV-V)

The doo-wop sound of the fifties, still everywhere today. Play two beats per chord and it starts to swing.

Songs, audio and other keys

ii-V-I Chord Progression: Dm - G - C

Dm - G - C (ii-V-I)

The cadence at the heart of jazz. Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7 is the version you will see on lead sheets; the triads in the audio show the bones of it.

Hear it in five keys, with songs that use it

Getting Around the Key of C on Guitar

• Most chords of C sit in the first three frets, so you can play the whole key without leaving the open position.
• Bdim is rarely strummed as a full chord. Songs usually play G7 in its place, since both share the notes B, D and F.
• For how these chords come out of the scale, and the chords of other scales, see chord scales harmonization.
• Soloing: the C major scale covers every chord here, and the A minor pentatonic gives you the same notes minus F and B.

More Lessons for This Key

• Chords in A minor, the relative minor key
• C major scale on the fretboard
• How to find the key of a song
• Circle of fifths, to see how the keys connect
• Transpose chords to another key
• All chord progressions

Chords in other keys: E minor · G major · D major · F major · A minor · A major · E major