Chord chart

C Chord on Guitar: 3 Easy Ways to Play C Major (Charts)

C chord charts with finger numbers, an easier version, the notes and intervals, and the keys and progressions that use it. Also searched as c chord, c guitar chord and how to play C.

By David Sandy, guitar player and founder of Sandy Music Lab. Every chord shape on this page is checked note by note against the chord's formula.

C chord diagram, Open positionC Open position: low E muted, A fret 3, D fret 2, G open, B fret 1, high e open.×321x 3 2 0 1 0
Open position
x 3 2 0 1 0
C chord diagram, Barre (8th fret, E-string root)C Barre (8th fret, E-string root): low E fret 8, A fret 10, D fret 10, G fret 9, B fret 8, high e fret 8.8fr13428 10 10 9 8 8
Barre (8th fret, E-string root)
8 10 10 9 8 8
C chord diagram, Easy 3-string versionC Easy 3-string version: low E muted, A muted, D muted, G fret 5, B fret 5, high e fret 3.×××341x x x 5 5 3
Easy 3-string version
x x x 5 5 3

Numbers are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky, T thumb). × = don't play that string, ○ = play it open. A long bar is a barre: one finger flat across those strings. Strings run low E (left) to high e (right).

Chord chart by Sandy Music Lab

Quick answer: To play C (C major) on guitar, play x 3 2 0 1 0 from the low E string to the high e string (the open position shape). The chord contains C, E, G. If that is hard, use the easier shape x x x 5 5 3, which needs 3 fretted notes.

C chord facts

Chord C (C major)
Other names Cmaj, CM
Notes C, E, G
Intervals C (root), E (major 3rd), G (perfect 5th)
Formula 1-3-5
Difficulty Beginner
Shapes on this page 3

How do you play C on guitar?

The main shape is x 3 2 0 1 0 (Open position). Finger by finger:

  1. Put your index finger (1) on the B string at fret 1 (C, the root).
  2. Put your middle finger (2) on the D string at fret 2 (E, the major 3rd).
  4. Put your ring finger (3) on the A string at fret 3 (C, the root).
  5. Let the G (G) and high e (E) strings ring open.
  7. Don't play the low E string: start your strum on the