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Key of C

The key of C major has no sharps or flats. Its seven notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its relative minor is A Minor, which shares the same notes and key signature. The chords that belong to the key are I C major, ii D minor, iii E minor, IV F major, V G major, vi A minor, vii° B diminished. Its dominant is G major and its subdominant is F major — the keys it most naturally moves toward. With no sharps or flats, C major is the most open, neutral key — the home base of Western tonal music and the first key most pianists learn.

Key Signature

The notes of the C Major come from C Major, so it carries that key signature: no sharps or flats.

Relative minor: A Minor scale — same notes, same key signature, different home note.

Chords in the Key of C Major

Every major key is built from seven diatonic chords — one on each note of the scale. In C major they are I C Major, ii D Minor, iii E Minor, IV F Major, V G Major, vi A Minor, and vii° B Diminished. Tap any chord to light it up on the keyboard.

C1C2C3CEGC5C6C7C8
I — C Major (major)

Common chord progressions in C major

  • I – IV – V — C → F → G — the three primary chords
  • I – V – vi – IV — C → G → A → F — the most common pop progression
  • ii – V – I — D → G → C — the backbone of jazz
  • I – vi – IV – V — C → A → F → G — the classic doo-wop turnaround

Everything in the key of C

Every chord, scale, and mode in C — click any link for the full interactive page with piano diagrams, audio, notation, and fingerings.

C Chords

C Major ChordC Minor ChordC Augmented ChordC Diminished ChordC Suspended 2nd ChordC Suspended 4th ChordC Major 6 ChordC Minor 6th ChordC Dominant 7th ChordC Major 7th ChordC Minor 7th ChordC Minor Major 7th ChordC Diminished 7th ChordC Half Diminished ChordC Augmented 7th ChordC Dominant 7th Sharp 11 ChordC Add 9 ChordC Major 9th ChordC Minor 9th ChordC Major 11th ChordC Minor 11th ChordC Major 13th ChordC Minor 13th ChordC Dominant 9th ChordC Dominant 7th ♭5 ChordC Major 6/9 ChordC Power ChordC Dominant 11th ChordC Dominant 13th ChordC Dominant 7th sus4 ChordC Dominant 9th sus4 ChordC Dominant 13th sus4 ChordC Dominant 7th ♭9 ChordC Dominant 7th ♯9 ChordC Dominant 7th ♭13 ChordC Dominant 7th ♯5 ChordC Dominant 9th ♭5 ChordC Dominant 9th ♯5 ChordC Dominant 7th ♭9 ♯11 ChordC Dominant 7th ♯9 ♯11 ChordC Dominant 7th ♭5 ♯9 ChordC Minor 11th ♭5 ChordC Minor 13th ♭5 ChordC Add 4 ChordC Minor Add 9 ChordC Minor Add 11 ChordC Major 7♯5 ChordC Major 7♭5 ChordC Minor 7♯5 ChordC Major 7♯11 ChordC Major 9♯11 ChordC Dominant 9♯11 ChordC Diminished Major 7th Chord

C Scales

C Major ScaleC Minor ScaleC Major Pentatonic ScaleC Minor Pentatonic ScaleC Major Blues ScaleC Minor Blues ScaleC Harmonic Minor ScaleC Melodic Minor ScaleC Chromatic ScaleC Altered ScaleC Phrygian Dominant ScaleC Locrian Sharp 2 ScaleC Lydian Dominant ScaleC Whole Tone ScaleC Whole-Half Diminished ScaleC Half-Whole Diminished ScaleC Major Bebop ScaleC Dominant Bebop ScaleC Minor Bebop ScaleC Harmonic Major ScaleC Double Harmonic ScaleC Hungarian Minor ScaleC Major b6 Pentatonic ScaleC Minor 6 Pentatonic Scale

C Modes

C Ionian1st Mode · = Major ScaleC Dorian2nd Mode of MajorC Phrygian3rd Mode of MajorC Lydian4th Mode of MajorC Mixolydian5th Mode of MajorC Aeolian6th Mode · = Natural MinorC Locrian7th Mode of Major
CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭BC♭