About the C major chord
The major chord is the brightest and most common chord there is. It is built from the root, a major third and a perfect fifth, and most songs in a major key start and finish on it.
How to play C
- Put your index finger on the B string at fret 1.
- Put your middle finger on the D string at fret 2.
- Put your ring finger on the A string at fret 3.
- Strum and let the G and high E strings ring open, and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of C major
These are the chords built on each note of the C major scale, so they all sound good together with C. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other C chords
C chord questions
What notes are in a C major chord?
C major is made of C, E and G. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5 above the root, C.
What is the easiest way to play C?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 3 2 0 1 0 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is C a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.