C major chord
- Cdo
- Emi
- Gsol
C chord notes
C major stacks a major third on its root and a minor third on top, four semitones and then three. It sounds bright and settled, and chord charts write it as C.
| Note | Interval from the root | Semitones |
|---|---|---|
| Cdo | Root1 | 0 |
| Emi | Major third3 | 4 |
| Gsol | Perfect fifth5 | 7 |
C chord inversions
An inversion plays the same notes with a different one at the bottom. Using C's inversions keeps your hand close to the next chord, so you move less between chords.
Root position
C, E, G
- Right hand
- 1-3-5
- Left hand
- 5-3-1
First inversion
E, G, C
- Right hand
- 1-2-5
- Left hand
- 5-3-1
Second inversion
G, C, E
- Right hand
- 1-3-5
- Left hand
- 5-2-1
Keys that use C
In these major keys C is one of the key's own chords. The numeral beside each key is its place in that key, as chord charts write it.
- C majorI
- F majorV
- G majorIV
Piano practice that remembers
The chords are just the start
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What notes are in the C chord?
C major (C) is C, E, G. In solfège that's do, mi, sol.
Which fingers play C?
In root position, the right hand plays 1-3-5 and the left hand 5-3-1, counting from the lowest note. The thumb is 1 and the little finger is 5.
Where does the C chord usually show up?
A major chord is the home chord of its own key and the IV and V of two neighbouring keys, so C turns up at the start and end of phrases and in almost every pop accompaniment.