Guitar chord · Triads
C major chord on guitar
x32010 · Open position
All 6 shapes, tab & fingering ↓
6 ways to play C on guitar, with finger positions, tabs and step-by-step instructions.
Bright, stable and resolved — the foundation of most songs.
C is the I chord in C major, IV in G major and V in F major. In minor keys: III in A minor, V in F minor, VI in E minor and VII in D minor.
- Notes
- CEG
- Formula
- 135
- Built from
- root · major 3rd · perfect 5th
Guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E) · 6 voicings · E string on the left · Other tunings →
How to play it · Open position
- 6th string (low E): don’t play — mute it
- 5th string (A): 3rd fret, ring finger (3) C
- 4th string (D): 2nd fret, middle finger (2) E
- 3rd string (G): play open G
- 2nd string (B): 1st fret, index finger (1) C
- 1st string (high E): play open E
Tablature
e|--0---| B|--1---| G|--0---| D|--2---| A|--3---| E|--x---|
Top line is the high E string. x = don’t play, 0 = open string.
Every C note on the guitar neck
Bright dots are the selected voicing — the rest are other places you can find the same chord tones.
Tips for playing C on guitar
The open C (x32010) trips up a lot of beginners. Arch your fingers so the open G and high E strings ring clearly, and start the strum on the A string. When you switch to Am, your index and middle fingers stay exactly where they are — only the ring finger moves.
You’ll find C in common progressions such as C–G–Am–F (the pop progression in C major), C–F–G–F (three-chord rock in C major) and C–Am–F–G (the ’50s progression in C major).
Learning guitar? C is part of stage 2 (“C major”) of our first guitar chords path.
