C C major chord
- Notes
- C E G
- Formula
- 1 3 5
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 above the root
- Other symbols
- CM, Cmaj
C to E is a major third (4 semitones), E to G is a minor third (3 semitones). The major triad: a major third with a minor third on top, the tonic chord of the key of C major.
C on the piano
Root position from C4: C4, E4, G4. Middle C is C4.
C on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has C as its lowest note.
x 3 2 0 1 0 (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 E3 G3 C4 E4
x 3 5 5 5 3 (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 G3 C4 E4 G4
8 10 10 9 8 8 (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 G3 C4 E4 G4 C5
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play major chords on other roots.
Inversions of C
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | C E G | C | |
| 1st inversion | E G C | C/E | |
| 2nd inversion | G C E | C/G |
Where C fits
C is I in C major, IV in G major, V in F major, V in F minor. As V in a minor key it comes from the harmonic minor scale, whose raised seventh degree is this chord's third, E.