What is a C Major chord?

C major is an easy-to-play piano chord that’s made up of the notes C, E, and G. It can be written as either “C Major”, or simply abbreviated to just “C”.

There are no sharps or flats in the key signature of C Major, meaning that it’s one of the easiest major chords to play on the piano. Its relative minor is A minor.

What notes are in a chord of C Major?

A chord of C Major is formed by playing the notes C, E, and G. On the picture of the keyboard above, you can see the three notes of the C chord marked in green.

Playing C Major with two hands

The diagram below shows the best way of playing a chord of C major with both the left and right hands. Use your left hand to play octave C notes with a G in the middle. Your right hand then plays a triad formed of E, G, and C.

How to play a chord of C/E on piano

A chord of C/E requires an E at the bottom of the chord stack.

To form a chord of C/E on piano, play a standard chord of C major in your right hand using the notes G, C, and E. Then play two E notes with your left hand, one octave apart.

How to play a chord of C/G on piano

A chord of C/G requires a G at the bottom of the chord stack.

To form a chord of C/G on piano, play a standard chord of C major in your right hand using the notes G, C, and E. Then play a single note of G with your left hand.

Chords related to C Major

There are a number of other chords that share a similar harmonic family as the chord of C Major on piano, meaning all of these will always sounds good when played in the same chord sequence:

Chord name	Required notes
F Major	F A C
G Major	G B D
A Minor	A C E
D Minor	D F A
E Minor	E G B
C7	C E G Bb

List of all C chords on piano

Cmaj7C7Csus2C6C MinorCm7CmM7Cm6C5C9Cm9Cmaj9Csus4Cdim7Caug7

What are piano chords?

A piano chord is formed when two or more notes are played on a piano or keyboard at the same time. Click here to read our complete guide to learning how to play chords on piano now!