C Major Chord
The C major chord uses C, E and G. Play those three notes together and you have a C chord on piano, even if another C doubles the root in a different octave. Most chord symbols write it as a single capital C; the word "major" is understood.
- Notes: C-E-G
- Symbol: C
- Three positions
keep practicing
Find C between the groups of black keys, add E and G, then say which note you would move to make the chord minor.
Where are C, E and G on the keyboard?
Find a group of two black keys. The white key immediately to their left is C. From there, move to E, the white key after D. Then find G after F. You can see these three keys highlighted above.
C is the root, the note that names the chord. E is its major third and is central to what makes this a major chord. G is the fifth. You do not need to hold all three with one hand at first: click them separately, then try them together on a piano when you can reach them comfortably.
If you want the counting method that works from any root, Major Chord shows how to build the same type from other starting notes.
What are the inversions of C major?
| Position | Notes from low to high | Lowest note |
|---|---|---|
| Root position | C-E-G | C |
| First inversion | E-G-C | E |
| Second inversion | G-C-E | G |
Choose each position in the listening block. The chord still contains C, E and G, so its name remains C major. The lowest note changes the weight and the path into the next chord.
If an E is the lowest note in the whole arrangement, you can write C/E. If G is lowest, write C/G. The slash tells the player about the bass. A different order in the right hand alone does not guarantee that the overall bass has changed, especially when a separate instrument plays a lower C.
Why might you use an inversion?
Play C-E-G, then move to F-A-C. The hand jumps to a new group of keys. Now try C-F-A for the F chord. That is still F major, but C can remain near where your hand already was.
Inversions give you choices when moving between chords. They can also shape a bass line: C, E, F in the bass might lead through C, C/E and F. Follow the lowest note and listen to how the motion changes.
Which keys contain a C major chord?
C major is the chord built on the first note of the C-major scale. It also belongs to G major, where it is built on the fourth note, and F major, where it is built on the fifth. The notes C, E and G remain the same. What changes is the set of notes and chords around them.
Try G-C-D-G as a sequence of major chords, then F-C-G-F. In the first sequence, C arrives between G and D; in the second, it sits between F and G. The chord itself has not changed, but its role in the phrase can. Diatonic Chords explains how a key gives chords their numbered places.
What changes when C becomes C minor?
Lower just E to E flat. C-E flat-G is C minor. The C and G stay exactly where they were; the third is the changed note.
If you have a piano, alternate C-E-G and C-E flat-G a few times at the same volume. Listen to the change before using words such as bright or dark. The full note spelling and more examples are on C Minor Chord.
Try two short comparisons
- Change the bassHear C-E-G and E-G-C above. Name the lowest note in each version.
- Change the chord qualityPlay C-E-G, then lower E to E flat on a piano. Name the one note that moved.
- Put C into a sequencePlay C-F-G-C and listen to how the last C functions after G.