C Guitar Chord

C maj position 1 guitar chord diagram

The C major chord is one of the first chord beginner have to learn.

Is not the easiest one because it requires a little bit of stretching, but with patience and exercise it will be easy to play.

The intervals composing the C major chord are Root, Major Third, and Perfect Fifth (1, 3 and 5).

The C Major chord is spelled in the following ways:

  • C (in major chord the type is often omitted)
  • C Major
  • C Maj
  • C M
  • C Major Triad

The C Major chord is made up of the notes C, E, and G

You might find also useful this C chord variations tutorial, which will take you through the various chord qualities generated from this basic form.

C maj chord Notes:

CEG

How the Major chord is built:

1
b2
2
b3
3
4
b5
5
#5
6
b7
7

The C Guitar Chord On Guitar

The C Major chord is built on the C Major scale, stacking the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes:

C D E F G A B C

So, counting 1, 3 and 5, we get: C E and G.

Keys Where You Can Find The C Major Chord

The C major chord contains natural notes only, so it's present in different keys:

C Major Key

Key I ii iii IV V vi vii
C C Dm Em F G Am B dim

G Major Key

Key I ii iii IV V vi vii
G G Am Bm C D Em F# dim

F Major Key

Key I ii iii IV V vi vii
F F Gm Am Bb C Dm E dim

E Minor Key

Key i ii III iv v VI VII
E Em F# dim G Am Bm C D

A Minor Key

Key i ii III iv v VI VII
A Am B dim C Dm Em F G

Progressions That Use The C Major Chord

There are probably thousands of songs with a C major chord somewhere. Here are some of the most popular:

  • 1 4 5: C F G
  • 1 6m 4 5: C Am F G
  • 1 5 6m 4: C G Am F

My full tutorial on common chord progression will give you a detailed view on how put chords together.

Scales To Play Over a C Major Chord

Basically any scale that has a Major Third and a Perfect Fifth will be a great fit for this chord, for example:

To learn more about this concept, check my complete ebook Scales Over Chords | Learn How To Play The Right Scales Over Any Chord.

Songs With The C Major Chord

The C major chord is one of the most used, and you can find it in songs like Imagine, The House Of The Rising Sun, Hallelujah, Time After Time, Ain't No Sunshine, Blowinā€™ in the Wind and many others.

You definitely want to learn it!

How To Play The C Major Chord | Guitar Shapes

Chord boxes are sorted from the easiest to the hardest. Learn how to read chord diagrams.

If you have difficulties with bar chord shapes, check the Bar Chords Tips tutorial.

Find more shapes on my all guitar chords online library.

Position 1
Open

C maj position 5 guitar chord diagram

Position 2
Movable

C maj position 9 guitar chord diagram

Position 3
Movable

C maj position 14 guitar chord diagram

Position 4
Open

C maj position 17 guitar chord diagram

Position 5
Movable

C maj position 12 guitar chord diagram

Position 6
Open

C maj position 10 guitar chord diagram

Position 7
Open

C maj position 4 guitar chord diagram

Position 8
Open

C maj position 19 guitar chord diagram

Position 9
Open

C maj position 1 guitar chord diagram

Position 10
Open

C maj position 7 guitar chord diagram

Position 11
BarreMovable

C maj position 13 guitar chord diagram

Position 12
Open

C maj position 16 guitar chord diagram

Position 13
Open

C maj position 8 guitar chord diagram

Position 14
BarreMovable

C maj position 2 guitar chord diagram

Position 15
BarreMovable

C maj position 11 guitar chord diagram

Position 16
BarreMovable

C maj position 15 guitar chord diagram

Position 17
BarreMovable

C maj position 6 guitar chord diagram

Position 18
BarreMovable

C maj position 3 guitar chord diagram

download this tutorial in pdfWant a printable pdf?
Download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C maj | D maj | E maj | F maj | G maj | A maj | B maj | C#maj | D#maj | F#maj | G#maj | A#maj

How to build the C maj chord on guitar

You can create any fingering you like on any part of the fretboard, just play some of the chord tones shown in the map below. Some shapes will sound good, some less, let your ears decide!

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5