C major is the chord that teaches you to aim. Unlike E minor or G, it does not start on the thickest string: it starts on the fifth, and the low E stays out of it. Get that habit early and C becomes one of the most useful chords you own, the home chord of the key of C and a regular guest in the keys of G and F.
C chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: C major
- Symbol: C
- Notes: C, E, G
- Where it belongs: I in C major, V in F major, IV in G major, VII in D minor, VI in E minor, V in F minor, III in A minor
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| C, open | x32010 | C E G C E | The C everyone learns first. Five strings, starting on the fifth: the low E stays silent. |
| C, with G on top | x32013 | C E G C G | Same chord with the fourth finger on the high E at fret 3. Fuller, and it sets up the change to G. |
| C, barre at the third fret | x35553 | C G C E G | The A shape moved up to fret 3. No open strings, so you can mute it for funk or rock strumming. |
| C, barre at the eighth fret | 8 10 10 9 8 8 | C G C E G C | The E shape at fret 8: first finger across all six strings, second finger on the G string at 9, third and fourth fingers on the A and D strings at 10. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
C on the neck: every C, E, G
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of C: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still C.
How to play the open C chord, step by step
Place the fingers from the bass up, in the order your pick will meet the strings. Each finger then has a reference for the next one.
- Third finger on the fifth string (A), fret 3. That note is C, the root. It is the anchor of the chord.
- Second finger on the fourth string (D), fret 2. That is E, the third.
- First finger on the second string (B), fret 1. Another C.
- Leave the third string (G) and the first string (high E) open. They give you G and E.
- Strum from the fifth string to the first. The low E is not part of the shape.
Then check the chord one string at a time, from the fifth to the first: C, E, G, C, E. Five clear notes, or you know exactly which finger to fix.
Why your C chord sounds wrong, and the fix
| What you hear | Likely cause | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| The third string (G) is dead | The second finger leans on it | Arch the second finger more and press with its very tip, coming down from above the string. |
| The high E is muffled | The underside of the first finger touches it | Bring the wrist slightly forward so the first finger stands more upright on the B string. |
| A fretted note buzzes | The finger sits in the middle of the fret | Slide it right up behind the fret wire. Press less, not more. |
| The chord sounds heavy, muddy | The open low E rings under the chord | Start the strum on the fifth string, or mute the low E. |
| The change arrives late | The whole hand lifts off the neck | Look for the finger that can stay put, and move the others as one block. |
The changes you will play with C
C almost never comes alone. These three moves cover most of the songs a beginner meets in the key of C. Practice each pair slowly, four beats per chord.
| Change | Shapes | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| C to Am | x32010 to x02210 | The first and second fingers do not move. Only the third finger leaves the fifth string for the third string at fret 2. |
| C to F | x32010 to xx3211 | Keep the first finger on the B string at fret 1 as a pivot and lay
it across the high E too. Start with xx321x if the two string
barre is not there yet. |
| C to G | x32013 to 320003 | The widest move: G starts on the low E. Using the x32013 version keeps the fourth finger at fret 3 on the high E for both chords. |
| C, G, Am, F | x32010, 320003, x02210, xx3211 | The I V vi IV of C major. Once each pair is clean, loop all four. |
More loops built on the same four chords are on the chord progressions page.
Where C shows up, and what to listen to
C is the home chord of the key of C and the relative major of A minor, which is why it sits next to Am in so many songs. It is also the IV chord in G and the V chord in F, so it turns up even in songs that are not in C at all.
To hear it in context: Ben E. King's Stand by Me turns on C, Am, F and G; the Beatles' Let It Be opens on C before G, Am and F; and Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here uses C between G, D/F# and Am. Every chord of every key is laid out on the chords in every key page.
One finger away: the chords hiding inside C
Change one note of the open C and you get a different chord, each with its own color. They are worth knowing, as long as you know they are not C.
- Cmaj7, x32000. Lift the first finger: the B string rings open and adds B. Softer, dreamier. See the Cmaj7 chord.
- Cadd9, x32033. The first finger leaves, the third and fourth fingers take D and G on the top strings. A staple of folk and pop. See the Cadd9 chord.
- C7, x32310. Add the fourth finger on the G string at fret 3: that Bb pulls the chord toward F. See the C7 chord.
- C/G, 332010. Add G on the low E at fret 3 and the chord stands on its fifth. See the C/G chord.
And when a song asks for C minor, the open shape no longer works: the C minor chord is a barre from the start.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play a C chord on guitar?
Do you strum the low E string on a C chord?
What notes are in a C major chord?
Why does my C chord buzz or sound muted?
How do I change from C to G quickly?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.