All chords › C

C Guitar Chords

51 chord types built on C, from the plain triad through to the extended and altered shapes — 651 playable voicings in total, every one with its fingering marked.

69% of the C shapes here (446 of 651) let at least one string ring open, so a lot of them sound fuller than the barre versions and are easier to hold. As a key centre, C is the I chord; it also turns up as the IV of F and the V of G.

The five you will reach for first

The five shapes every player meets first: the plain major and minor triads, the power chord, and the two triads that alter the fifth. Between them these 5 chords account for 84 of the 651 C shapes on this site.

Jump to: C · Cm · C5 · Caug · Cdim

C

CEG
23 shapes · open & play
X
O
O
3
2
1
X
O
3
2
1
4
X
X
O
O
3
1
X
O
O
2
2
1
4
X
O
2
2
1
4
3
X
O
X
O
2
1
X
O
3
1
3
4
2
X
O
O
3
1
2
3
X
O
3
1
2
3
4
X
X
O
X
O
3
1
X
3
1
3
3
3
1
O
5
4
3
1
1
1
O
8
1
3
4
2
1
O
O
8
1
2
3
1
X
X
O
X
O
8
1
X
X
O
O
8
3
1
8
1
3
4
2
1
1
X
X
8
3
2
1
1
X
X
X
8
3
2
1
X
X
O
X
O
10
1
X
X
O
O
10
1
4
X
12
4
3
1
2
1
X
X
O
O
13
3
1

C turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of C major, V of F major, IV of G major, VI of E minor, III of A minor, VII of D minor.

Progressions that actually use it: I – V – vi – IV (C major), I – vi – IV – V (C major), I – IV – V (C major), I – IV – iv – I (C major).

Fret and finger numbers for C
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 3 2 0 1 0– 3 2 – 1 –
X 3 2 0 1 3– 3 2 – 1 4
X 3 X 0 1 0– 3 – – 1 –
X 3 2 0 5 0– 2 1 – 4 –
X 3 2 0 5 3– 2 1 – 4 3
X 3 2 0 X 0– 2 1 – – –
X 3 5 0 5 3– 1 3 – 4 2
X 3 5 0 5 0– 1 2 – 3 –
X 3 5 5 5 0– 1 2 3 4 –
X 3 X 0 X 0– 1 – – – –
X 3 5 5 5 3– 1 3 3 3 1
8 7 5 5 5 04 3 1 1 1 –
8 10 10 9 8 01 3 4 2 1 –
8 10 10 0 8 01 2 3 – 1 –
8 X X 0 X 01 – – – – –
X X 10 0 8 0– – 3 – 1 –
8 10 10 9 8 81 3 4 2 1 1
X X 10 9 8 8– – 3 2 1 1
X X 10 9 8 X– – 3 2 1 –
X X 10 0 X 0– – 1 – – –
X X 10 0 13 0– – 1 – 4 –
X 15 14 12 13 12– 4 3 1 2 1
X 15 X 0 13 0– 3 – – 1 –

Cm

CEbG
18 shapes · open & play
X
O
3
1
2
4
X
O
2
1
4
3
X
O
X
X
3
1
X
X
O
3
1
3
2
X
O
3
1
4
3
2
X
X
O
X
3
1
2
X
X
3
1
3
4
2
X
3
1
3
4
2
1
X
O
6
2
1
3
4
X
X
O
8
2
1
3
8
1
3
4
1
1
1
X
X
X
8
3
1
1
X
X
8
3
1
1
1
X
X
8
3
1
2
4
X
X
O
X
10
1
2
X
X
O
10
1
3
2
X
X
X
10
1
3
2
X
O
X
X
13
2
1

Cm turns up as the i, v, iv, vi chord across 6 keys: i of C minor, v of F minor, iv of G minor, vi of Eb major, ii of Bb major, iii of G# major.

Progressions that actually use it: i – VI – III – VII (C minor), i – iv – v (C minor), i – iv – V7 – i (C minor), i – VII – VI – V (C minor).

Fret and finger numbers for Cm
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 3 1 0 1 3– 3 1 – 2 4
X 3 1 0 4 3– 2 1 – 4 3
X 3 1 0 X X– 3 1 – – –
X 3 X 0 4 3– 1 – – 3 2
X 3 5 0 4 3– 1 4 – 3 2
X 3 X 0 4 X– 1 – – 2 –
X 3 5 5 4 X– 1 3 4 2 –
X 3 5 5 4 3– 1 3 4 2 1
8 6 X 0 8 82 1 – – 3 4
X X 10 0 8 11– – 2 – 1 3
8 10 10 8 8 81 3 4 1 1 1
X X 10 8 8 X– – 3 1 1 –
X X 10 8 8 8– – 3 1 1 1
X X 10 8 8 11– – 3 1 2 4
X X 10 0 X 11– – 1 – – 2
X X 10 0 13 11– – 1 – 3 2
X X 10 12 X 11– – 1 3 – 2
X 15 13 0 X X– 2 1 – – –

C5

CG
16 shapes · open & play
X
X
O
2
1
3
X
X
O
X
3
1
X
X
O
X
3
1
2
X
O
X
3
1
3
2
X
X
X
3
1
3
4
X
X
3
1
3
4
1
X
X
O
8
1
2
3
O
8
1
3
4
1
1
X
X
O
8
3
1
1
X
X
X
X
8
1
2
X
X
X
X
8
2
1
X
X
O
X
X
10
1
X
X
O
X
10
1
4
X
X
X
X
10
1
2
X
X
X
10
1
2
3
X
X
O
X
13
2
1

C5 fits 12 of the twenty-four major and minor keys — a chord this open leaves most of the scale untouched. These are the 6 where it carries the weight, as the I, IV or V: I of C major, i of C minor, V of F major, v of F minor, IV of G major, iv of G minor.

Fret and finger numbers for C5
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 3 X 0 1 3– 2 – – 1 3
X 3 X 0 1 X– 3 – – 1 –
X 3 X 0 X 3– 1 – – – 2
X 3 5 0 X 3– 1 3 – – 2
X 3 5 5 X X– 1 3 4 – –
X 3 5 5 X 3– 1 3 4 – 1
8 X X 0 8 81 – – – 2 3
8 10 10 0 8 81 3 4 – 1 1
X X 10 0 8 8– – 3 – 1 1
8 10 X X X X1 2 – – – –
X X 10 X 8 X– – 2 – 1 –
X X 10 0 X X– – 1 – – –
X X 10 0 13 X– – 1 – 4 –
X X 10 12 X X– – 1 2 – –
X X 10 12 13 X– – 1 2 3 –
X 15 X 0 13 X– 2 – – 1 –

Caug

CEG#
16 shapes · open & play
X
O
3
2
1
1
X
X
O
3
1
1
X
X
X
O
3
1
X
X
X
2
1
3
X
X
X
O
3
1
4
X
X
3
1
3
4
2
O
5
4
3
2
1
1
X
X
X
O
6
3
1
X
X
X
O
8
1
2
X
X
X
8
1
2
3
X
X
8
4
2
3
1
X
X
O
9
2
1
1
X
X
X
O
9
2
1
X
X
9
2
1
1
4
X
X
O
10
1
3
4
X
X
X
O
13
3
1

Caug — The fifth is raised, which puts a note outside every major and minor key. It almost always appears on the way somewhere — holding a major chord for a moment while the top voice climbs toward the next one.

Fret and finger numbers for Caug
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 3 2 1 1 0– 3 2 1 1 –
X 3 X 1 1 0– 3 – 1 1 –
X 3 X 1 X 0– 3 – 1 – –
X 3 2 X X 4– 2 1 – – 3
X 3 6 X X 0– 1 4 – – –
X 3 X 5 5 4– 1 – 3 4 2
8 7 6 5 5 04 3 2 1 1 –
8 X 6 X X 03 – 1 – – –
8 X X X 9 01 – – – 2 –
8 X X 9 9 X1 – – 2 3 –
X X 10 9 9 8– – 4 2 3 1
X X 10 9 9 0– – 2 1 1 –
X X 10 X 9 0– – 2 – 1 –
X X 10 9 9 12– – 2 1 1 4
X X 10 13 13 0– – 1 3 4 –
X 15 X 13 X 0– 3 – 1 – –

Cdim

CEbF#
11 shapes · open & play
X
X
X
3
1
2
X
X
4
1
2
3
X
X
3
1
4
2
X
X
2
3
4
1
X
X
X
2
3
1
X
X
X
3
1
2
3
X
X
3
1
2
4
3
X
X
X
7
2
3
1
X
X
X
7
4
2
1
X
X
X
10
1
2
3
X
X
10
1
2
4
3

Cdim is the ii° and the vii° chord of Bb minor and C# major.

Fret and finger numbers for Cdim
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 3 1 X X 2– 3 1 – – 2
X 3 1 X 1 2– 4 1 – 2 3
X 3 1 X 4 2– 3 1 – 4 2
X 3 4 X 4 2– 2 3 – 4 1
X 3 X X 4 2– 2 – – 3 1
X 3 4 X 4 X– 1 2 – 3 –
X 3 4 5 4 X– 1 2 4 3 –
8 X X 8 7 X2 – – 3 1 –
X X 10 8 7 X– – 4 2 1 –
X X 10 11 X 11– – 1 2 – 3
X X 10 11 13 11– – 1 2 4 3

The rest of the C chords

C Major-family chords

9 chord types · 148 shapes

Cmaj7 · Cadd9 · C6 · Cmaj9 · Cmaj11 · Cmaj13 · C6/9 · Cmaj7add11 · Cmaj7add13

C Minor-family chords

14 chord types · 131 shapes

Cm7 · Cm6 · Cm6/9 · Cm(maj7) · Cm7add11 · Cm(maj7)add11 · Cm7add13 · Cm(maj7)add13 · Cm(add9) · Cm9 · Cm(maj9) · Cm11 · Cm(maj11) · Cm13

C Dominant chords

6 chord types · 63 shapes

C7 · C9 · C11 · C13 · C7add11 · C7add13

C Suspended & Altered chords

17 chord types · 225 shapes

Csus2 · Csus4 · C7sus4 · Cmaj7sus4 · C7sus2 · Cmaj7sus2 · C6sus4 · C6sus2 · Cm7b5 · Cm7#5 · Cdim7 · C7b9 · C7#9 · C7b5 · Caug7 · Caug7b9 · Cm7b9

Every chord above has an open & play link that opens it in the interactive dictionary, where you can hear it and step through the shapes. You can also work backwards from a shape you are already holding.