C chord was the first chord I learnt almost 30+ years back when I started my guitar journey. The C Major chord referred to as C Chord or C open chord is an easy chord to master with little effort. So let us dive in to learn to play this easy beginner level chord along with finger position and notes.
Interesting Fact : The C chord is one of the most widely used guitar chords in many songs across all languages.
C Major Chord Notes
The C major chord simply consists of 3 notes – C E and G notes. The C chord can be played in a variety of ways across the neck of the guitar in open and barre chord shapes. Simply if you are able to play these three notes in any shape in 3, 4 ,5 or 6 strings it is called as C major chord. However here we will learn to play this chord in 3 simple steps – the c major chord in open position.
How to play the C major Chord Guitar (Open Position) in 3 simple steps
Take a look at the picture first to get an idea of the chord shape and the finger position.
Step 1: Place your index or first finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string (B String)
Step 2: Put your middle or second finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string (D String)
Step 3: Keep the ring finger or 3rd finger in the 3rd fret of the 5th string (A String)
Now strum from the fifth string to the first string in one stroke that is the C Major chord. You can also get a better idea by seeing the video below:
Important points to remember while playing C major chord
- You will have to stretch your third finger a little bit, with a little bit of practice this will be easy.
- You will also have to arch or bend your fingers so that you don’t touch the other things. In case you touch the other fingers, then you will mute those strings and the notes from the muted strings will not clear it will be a ‘buzzy’ sound.
If you are looking for a qualified Guitar teacher, you can try a free trial class on the Music Master platform.
Next Read: If you are new to playing Guitar read Beginner Guitar Chords to explore chords that can let you play thousands of songs
Check the following links to learn the beginner guitar chords.
- D Major Chord
- E Major Chord
- G Major Chord
- A Major Chord
- E Minor Chord
- A Minor Chord
- D Minor Chord
- F Major Chord
- B Minor Chord
FAQs
What is the C major chord on Guitar?
The C major open chord is a beginner level chord that consists of 3 notes – C, E and G.
What is C major power guitar chord?
The C power chord consists of two notes – C and G and is predominantly played on the bottom 3 strings (D, A and E strings in Standard Guitar tuning).
What are the notes in C major chord?
Any major chord consists of 1st, 3rd and 5th note of the respective keys. So for C major chord the notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Therefore the respective 1st, 3rd and 5th notes are C, E and G.
