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Piano chord · Major triad · Beginner

C major piano chord (C)

C major is C – E – G. Right hand fingers 1-3-5, thumb on middle C.

Root position
CC major

C – E – G

Built from the root, major 3rd, perfect 5th. Keys show right-hand fingers: 1 = thumb.

C major in root position on the treble staff
C major in root position on the treble staff
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RelatedC minorC – E♭ – GScaleC major scaleOn piano, with right- and left-hand fingeringPracticePractice CRandom prompts until the shape is automaticToolChord identifierPress keys and find out what you playedOn guitarC guitar chordThe same chord as a guitar shapeAll chordsAll 43 piano chordsThe full major, minor and 7th chartPrintPiano chord chart PDFAll 43 chords, free

C, E and G, played together. Root position is lit on the keyboard above — press Play chord to hear it, or switch to an inversion.

Notes in C: C, E and G

NoteInterval from the rootKey around middle C
CRootC4 · white key
EMajor 3rdE4 · white key
GPerfect 5thG4 · white key
  • Chord symbol: C — C major
  • Formula: root, major 3rd, perfect 5th (0 · 4 · 7 half steps (semitones) from the root)
  • Right hand fingering: 1-3-5 — thumb, middle finger and little finger
  • Left hand fingering: 5-3-1, little finger on the root

How C works

C major is the chord every method book opens with: three white keys, no accidentals, and the tonic of the one key signature with nothing in it. Set the thumb on middle C and it falls under the hand as 1-3-5, which is why so many first pieces live here.

C inversions

An inversion keeps the same notes and changes which one is at the bottom. That matters because it lets you move between chords without jumping: the closer the notes of the next chord are to the ones your hand is already holding, the smoother it sounds and the easier it is to play. Root position first, then two inversions.

  • Root position

    C–E–G — the root, C, is at the bottom.

    Right hand1-3-5Left hand5-3-1

  • 1st inversion — E in the bass

    E–G–C — the same three notes, reordered so E is lowest.

    Right hand1-2-5Left hand5-3-1

  • 2nd inversion — G in the bass

    G–C–E — the same three notes, reordered so G is lowest.

    Right hand1-3-5Left hand5-2-1

PositionNotes, lowest firstRight handLeft hand
Root positionC – E – G1 – 3 – 55 – 3 – 1
1st inversionE – G – C1 – 2 – 55 – 3 – 1
2nd inversionG – C – E1 – 3 – 55 – 2 – 1

1 = thumb, 5 = little finger. Notes listed from the lowest key up.

Common mistakes on C

  • Letting the thumb creep off middle C so the whole chord shifts up to D–F–A.
  • Playing it with fingers 1-2-3, which cramps the hand and leaves nothing to reach the fifth with.
  • Dropping the wrist below the key surface, so the fingers pull at the keys instead of pressing down through them.

C major FAQ

What notes are in C major?

C, E and G: the root, major 3rd, perfect 5th.

What fingers do I use for C major?

In root position, right hand 1-3-5 and left hand 5-3-1 (1 = thumb, 5 = little finger). 1st inversion: right hand 1-2-5, left hand 5-3-1; 2nd inversion: right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-2-1.

What are the inversions of C major?

1st inversion: E–G–C. 2nd inversion: G–C–E. Same notes, a different one at the bottom.

C major piano chord diagram
C piano chord chart: C, E, G highlighted and labeled on the keyboard.

Piano chord data last updated . Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.