Guitar scale · Ionian mode
C Major Scale
Bright, balanced major scale forming the foundation of Western music and pop/rock.
Tap any note to hear it.
C Major Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|---------------------------------------8-10-12-| B|---------------------------------10-12---------| G|-------------------------9-10-12---------------| D|-----------------9-10-12-----------------------| A|---------8-10-12-------------------------------| E|-8-10-12---------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|-------------------------------------12-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-14-------------------------| A|----------10-12-14----------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-16----------------| D|-------------------12-14-15-------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-19-| B|-------------------------------------17-18----------| G|----------------------------16-17-19----------------| D|-------------------15-17-19-------------------------| A|----------15-17-19----------------------------------| E|-15-17-19-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------17-19-20-| B|-------------------------------------18-20----------| G|----------------------------17-19-21----------------| D|-------------------17-19-21-------------------------| A|----------17-19-20----------------------------------| E|-17-19-20-------------------------------------------|
How to play C Major on guitar
Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 8–12. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
C major shares all its notes with A minor, its relative minor. See the A Minor Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C |
| 2 | D |
| 3 | E |
| 4 | F |
| 5 | G |
| 6 | A |
| 7 | B |
Chords in C Major
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C Major; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | Cmaj7 | Tonic |
| ii | Dm | Dm7 | Supertonic |
| iii | Em | Em7 | Mediant |
| IV | F | Fmaj7 | Subdominant |
| V | G | G7 | Dominant |
| vi | Am | Am7 | Submediant |
| vii° | Bdim | Bm7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C Major anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
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- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the C Major Scale?
- The C Major Scale has 7 notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B.
- What chords are in the C Major Scale?
- The chords of C Major are C (I), Dm (ii), Em (iii), F (IV), G (V), Am (vi), Bdim (vii°).
- What is the formula of the major scale?
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, which is the step pattern W W H W W W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play C Major on the guitar?
- The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.