Piano chords › C major

C major chord

Symbol: C · Notes: C – E – G

The most common chord: stable and bright, it opens and closes most songs. Three notes: the root, the major third (4 semitones up) and the perfect fifth (7 semitones up).

How it is built

• C: root
• E: major third
• G: perfect fifth

Fingering: right hand 1 3 5, left hand 5 3 1 (1 = thumb, 5 = pinky).

Its inversions

• Root position: C – E – G
• 1st inversion: E – G – C
• 2nd inversion: G – C – E

In which keys

• I (tonic) in C major
• V (dominant) in F major
• IV (subdominant) in G major
• VII in D minor
• VI in E minor
• III in A minor
• V (dominant) in F harmonic minor

Other C chords

Cm · C7 · Cmaj7 · Cm7 · Csus2 · Csus4 · Cdim · C+ · C6 · Cm6 · Cadd9 · Cdim7 · Cm7♭5

Learn chords step by step with the free course