Key of C major

Chords in the Key of C Major – Free Chart

C major has no sharps or flats, so it uses only the white keys on a piano. Here are its notes on piano and guitar, its seven chords and the progressions built from them. Press any chord to hear it.

Key signatureNo sharps or flats

Relative minorA minor

Camelot8B

Parallel minorC minor

The C major scale

Piano

CDEFGABCDEFGAB

Guitar, open position

Chords in the key of C major

Press to hear

With sevenths

Common progressions in C major

I – V – vi – IV

C– G– Am– F

The pop progression

I – IV – V – I

C– F– G– C

Rock, folk and country staple

vi – IV – I – V

Am– F– C– G

Moody, emotional pop

I – vi – IV – V

C– Am– F– G

50s doo-wop and ballads

ii7 – V7 – Imaj7

Dm7– G7– Cmaj7

The jazz cadence

Make a song in C major

Pick a feel. MusicWave writes an original song with vocals, with C major in the prompt.

Country · 120 BPM Acoustic pop · 104 BPM Worship ballad · 72 BPM

Make a song in C major

Nearby keys

Keys that share chords with C major

IV · NeighbourF major V · NeighbourG major Relative minorA minor Parallel minorC minor Circle of fifthsSee all 24 keys

For DJs

Mixing in key

C major is 8B on the Camelot wheel, the code most DJ software shows. It mixes cleanly with these keys:

7BF major 9BG major 8AA minor

All 24 keys

Chords for every key

FAQ

C major questions

What chords are in the key of C major?

C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim. The three you'll use most are C, F and G, the I, IV and V chords.

Why does C major have no sharps or flats?

Its pattern of steps between notes lands exactly on the white keys of a piano. That's why C major is often the first key people learn.

What is the relative minor of C major?

A minor. It uses the same seven notes as C major but starts on A.

How do I know if a song is in C major?

Drop it into the free BPM & key finder. If it says C major, every chord on this page will fit, and you can make a new song in the same key.