# C Major piano chord (C)

C contains C, E and G. A major third with a perfect fifth above the root. Every note is a white key.

- Canonical page: https://piano.org/chords/major/c/
- Entity: chord:major:c
- Notes: C E G
- Formula: 1 3 5
- Intervals from root: P1, M3, P5
- Interval stack (semitones): 4 3
- Also written: C, C, C major
- Parameters: A440, 12-TET, 165 mm octave, spans centre to centre

## Construction

| Degree | Note | Interval from root | Semitones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | C | Perfect unison | 0 |
| 3 | E | Major third | 4 |
| 5 | G | Perfect fifth | 7 |

## Fingering

Rest your right hand over the notes with finger 1 on C, finger 3 on E, finger 5 on G. The left hand mirrors it.
Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. Source: piano.org fingering method v1.

## Inversions

| Position | Bass | Notes in order | Figured bass | Span |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Root position | C | C3 E3 G3 | 5/3 | 7 st, 96 mm |
| First inversion (C/E) | E | E3 G3 C4 | 6/3 | 8 st, 110 mm |
| Second inversion (C/G) | G | G3 C4 E4 | 6/4 | 9 st, 124 mm |

## Voicings (5)

| Voicing | Notes | Span | Relation | Omits or adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Close, root position | C3 E3 G3 | 7 st, 96 mm | identical | none |
| Close, first inversion | E3 G3 C4 | 8 st, 110 mm | identical | none |
| Close, second inversion | G3 C4 E4 | 9 st, 124 mm | identical | none |
| Open, fifth on top | C2 G2 E3 | 16 st, 220 mm | identical | none |
| Root and third only | C3 E3 | 4 st, 55 mm | subset | omits G |

## Diatonic function by key

| Key | Roman numeral | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C major | I | Tonic, home |
| D minor | ♭VII | Subtonic |
| E minor | ♭VI | Pre-dominant color |
| F major | V | Dominant, wants to resolve |
| G major | IV | Subdominant, away from home |
| A minor | ♭III | Relative-major color |

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

## Progressions (8)

| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ii, V, I | C major | I | Dm to G to C | 1 tone held from G |
| IV, I | C major | I | F to C | 1 tone held from F |
| I, vi, ii, V | C major | I | C to Am to Dm to G | C opens the phrase |
| ♭VII, i | D minor | ♭VII | C to Dm | C opens the phrase |
| ♭VI, iv, i, v | E minor | ♭VI | C to Am to Em to Bm | C opens the phrase |
| i, ♭VI | E minor | ♭VI | Em to C | 2 tones held from Em |
| V, I | F major | V | C to F | C opens the phrase |
| ii, V, I | F major | V | Gm to C to F | 1 tone held from Gm |

## One-edit neighbors

| Becomes | Edit | Changes | Common tones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cmaj7 | 1 3 5 7 | adds B | 3 |
| C7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | adds B♭ | 3 |
| C6 | 1 3 5 6 | adds A | 3 |
| Cadd9 | 1 3 5 9 | adds D | 3 |
| Cm | 1 ♭3 5 | E becomes E♭ | 2 |
| Caug | 1 3 ♯5 | G becomes G♯ | 2 |
| Csus2 | 1 2 5 | E becomes D | 2 |
| Csus4 | 1 4 5 | E becomes F | 2 |
| Cm7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | E becomes E♭, B♭ | 2 |
| CmMaj7 | 1 ♭3 5 7 | E becomes E♭, B | 2 |
| Caug7 | 1 3 ♯5 ♭7 | G becomes G♯, B♭ | 2 |
| C7sus4 | 1 4 5 ♭7 | E becomes F, B♭ | 2 |

## Set theory

- Absolute pitch classes: {0, 4, 7}
- Relative pitch classes: [0, 4, 7]
- Normal order: [0, 4, 7]
- Prime form: (037)
- Forte number: 3-11
- Interval vector: <001110>

## Frequencies (close root position)

| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C3 | 48 | 130.81 Hz |
| E3 | 52 | 164.81 Hz |
| G3 | 55 | 196.00 Hz |

## Questions and answers

### What notes are in C?

C contains C, E and G. The formula is 1, 3, 5.

### How do you play C on piano?

Play C, E and G together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. Every note is a white key.

### What are the inversions of C?

3 positions: root position C E G, C/E, C/G.

### What keys contain C?

6: I in C major, ♭VII in D minor, ♭VI in E minor, V in F major, IV in G major, ♭III in A minor.

### What is the difference between C and Cmaj7?

Adds B. 3 of the notes are shared.

### What is an easy C for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, C3 E3, spans 4 semitones or about 55 mm.

### What are the frequencies of C?

From C3 at A440 in 12-TET: 130.81, 164.81, 196.00 Hz.

### What is the set class of C?

Prime form (037), Forte 3-11, interval vector &lt;001110&gt;.

### How do I transpose C to another key?

Keep the 1, 3, 5 formula on the new root. C♯ is C♯, E♯, G♯; D♭ is D♭, F, A♭.

## Provenance

Every derived value above is computed by the piano.org theory kernel from the root, the quality and the stated parameters. Nothing is hand-entered per chord.

Machine record: https://piano.org/api/knowledge/v1/entities/chord:major:c
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12