C chord on guitar
C major
C is a major chord with three notes: C, E and G. Learn it first as an open shape: two open strings and three fingers on the frets. Below: where each finger goes, which strings to skip and two more ways to play it.
Strum it and Lark tells you if it is right. The chord detector is free and listens through your mic.
How to play it
- Index on the B string, fret 1
- Middle on the D string, fret 2
- Ring on the A string, fret 3
The number in each note head is the finger: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky.
Strings to skip
Skip the low E string and strum from the A string down.
- Shape
- Open shape
- Fingers
- Threeindex, middle and ring
- Strings played
- FiveA, D, G, B and high e
- Open strings
- Twothe G and high e strings
- Lowest note
- C3the root, on the A string
- Frets
- x 3 2 0 1 0low E to high e, x means skip it
The notes in C
- Croot
- Emajor third
- Gperfect fifth
A major chord is three notes: the root, a major third and a perfect fifth. E is the major third, four frets above the root. G is the perfect fifth, seven frets above the root.
String by string
- high e string: E4major third
- B string: C4root
- G string: G3perfect fifth
- D string: E3major third
- A string: C3root
- low E string: not played
Every note of C is in this shape, some of them twice.
Other ways to play it
- Barre at fret 3x 3 5 5 5 3Root on the A string.
- Barre at fret 88 10 10 9 8 8Root on the low E string.
Songs in Lark with C
Five songs in the library strum C. Open one for the full chord sheet, then play it with Lark and every chord gets checked.
Related chords
Other C chords
Relative minor
The relative minor of C is Am. The C major scale uses the same seven notes as the A natural minor scale.
Strum it and Lark tells you if it is right.
Open the chord detector, play C and Lark names the chord it hears, with the notes in it. In the app, the chord book has all 111 chords, string by string.