C Guitar Chord
For the common open C major chord, place your index finger on string 2 fret 1, middle finger on string 4 fret 2, and ring finger on string 5 fret 3. Leave string 6 out and strum strings 5 through 1. Then compare two higher barre voicings.
C MAJOR · STANDARD TUNING
Find the C shape you need
Start with the open shape. Use the higher barre shapes when you want the same C-major harmony in a different part of the neck.
Reference tones, not a guitar recording.
OPEN C · FINGER POSITIONS
Place three fingers, then strum from string 5.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | × | — | — | Do not play |
| 5 | 3 | 3 | C3 | |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | E3 | |
| 3 | Open | — | G3 | |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | C4 | |
| 1 | Open | — | E4 |
CHORD TAB
Read the same shape as TAB
1|0 2|1 3|0 4|2 5|3 6|x
EASIER FIRST STEP
Practice a three-string C before the full open shape
Fret string 2 at fret 1 and play only strings 3, 2 and 1. Those three strings sound G, C and E, so you still hear the three notes of C major. Treat this as a small practice voicing, not as a replacement for learning the full five-string open C.
Make the open C chord ring cleanly
- StartString 5
- OpenStrings 3 & 1
- MuteString 6
Place your index finger on the B string, string 2, at fret 1. Place your middle finger on the D string, string 4, at fret 2. Place your ring finger on the A string, string 5, at fret 3. The G string, string 3, and high E string, string 1, stay open. Leave the low E string out of this selected voicing.
Before strumming, look at the diagram as a set of six instructions rather than three dots. Three strings are fretted, two are open, and one is excluded. That distinction matters because a finger can be in the correct place while also touching a nearby string that should ring. The fretting shape and the choice of strings work together.
Try a slow strum beginning on string 5. Then stop and pick strings 5 through 1 separately. For this first check, do not worry about changing chords or maintaining a rhythm. Identify what each intended string is doing before adding another task. Keep the diagram visible while you check instead of rushing to reproduce it from memory.
High E is muted
Check whether your index finger on string 2 is leaning into string 1. Raise that side of the fingertip, then pick the high E again.
Open G is muted
Check the middle and ring fingers beside the G string. Keep the fretted notes down while giving the open G enough space to vibrate.
B string buzzes
Confirm fret 1 and move the index fingertip closer to the next fret wire without sitting on top of the wire.
Low E is ringing
For this selected open-C voicing, begin the strum on string 5 and leave string 6 out.
Build the shape in a repeatable order for a few attempts: index, middle, then ring. This is a suggested checking routine, not a rule that every player must always place the fingers separately. Once the positions are familiar, you can work toward forming the shape as one coordinated movement.
Place each fingertip in its fret space near the next fret wire toward the guitar body, without pressing directly on the wire. Check that the tip is not spilling onto a neighboring open string. Try one small adjustment and pluck the affected string again. That gives you a clearer comparison than moving all three fingers at once.
Avoid treating maximum pressure as the goal. Look for correct placement and a clear note, then reset your hand between attempts. Do not force a stretch or continue through pain. The diagram specifies musical positions; it does not prove that a particular hand angle is suitable for every player. A teacher can help inspect your actual posture when the same physical difficulty persists.
If the open G string is muted, inspect whether your middle or ring finger is touching it. If the high E string is muted, inspect the index finger near the B string. These are possible causes to test, not diagnoses of a hand position that the page cannot see. Move the suspected finger slightly and listen again.
If a fretted note buzzes, first confirm the fret and try a small placement adjustment. If the note rings clearly but seems wrong, check the string number and fret number against the diagram. A clear note at the wrong position is a different problem from a correctly located note that does not ring. Compare the reference pitch only after you know which string you are checking.
Three C major shapes and when to use them
The open shape is the quickest reference for beginners. The two barre shapes keep the chord identity C–E–G while moving the voicing higher on the neck.
Strum strings 5–1 · C · E · G
Strum strings 5–1 · C · E · G
Strum strings 6–1 · C · E · G
The open shape uses frets X–3–2–0–1–0, reading from string 6 to string 1. It combines open and fretted notes and starts on C3. The A-shape barre uses X–3–5–5–5–3. It also starts on C3, but its upper notes are G3, C4, E4, and G4. The E-shape barre uses 8–10–10–9–8–8 and produces C3, G3, C4, E4, G4, and C5. A higher physical fret number therefore does not mean that every note is higher: all three examples have the same lowest pitch.
For the A-shape version, the example fingering bars strings 5 through 1 at fret 3 with the index, then uses fingers 2, 3, and 4 at fret 5 on strings 4, 3, and 2. The high first string remains held at fret 3 by the barre. Other players use a different barre arrangement. The displayed fingering is one candidate to inspect, not a demand to force your hand into an uncomfortable position.
The E-shape version uses the index barre at fret 8, with the ring finger on string 5 at fret 10, little finger on string 4 at fret 10, and middle finger on string 3 at fret 9. Its range reaches C5 at the top. Compare its extra upper notes with the open version rather than treating it as merely the same picture moved upward.
Changing the voicing updates the diagram, notes, string checks, chord TAB and reference playback together. Stop the old sound before examining the new shape. In the listening comparison, differences come from the specified pitches; the synthesized reference does not reproduce the resonance, string material, picking style or sustain of a recorded acoustic or electric guitar.
Notes in the C major guitar chord
C major contains C, E, and G. Relative to C, these are the root, major third, and perfect fifth. The open shape repeats C and E at higher octaves, which is why five strings can sound while the chord still has three distinct note names. Think of the diagram as one arrangement of the chord, rather than its complete definition.
Use that distinction to check a shape instead of relying only on its appearance. In this voicing, string 5 supplies the lowest C, string 4 supplies E, and string 3 supplies G. Strings 2 and 1 add higher C and E notes. You can connect each of those labels to the corresponding position on the fretboard.
A note name by itself does not specify a chord. Finding a C somewhere on the neck gives you one note location. Playing C major requires an appropriate combination of its chord tones. Likewise, playing the C major scale means following a sequence of scale notes, not strumming this shape. The separate references answer those different tasks.
C, Cm, Cmaj7 and Cadd9 are different chord names
Practice one useful change: C → Am
Use the open shapes for this exercise. Two fingers stay in place while one finger moves, so you can practice a chord change without rebuilding the entire hand.
Keep finger 2String 4, fret 2
Keep finger 1String 2, fret 1
Move finger 3String 5, fret 3 → string 3, fret 2
Use this as an optional short exercise after checking C by itself. Begin with C and pick its five intended strings. Keep the index finger on string 2, fret 1, and the middle finger on string 4, fret 2. Move the ring finger from string 5, fret 3, to string 3, fret 2. This creates the selected open Am shape, with string 5 now open.
Check Am slowly, then move the ring finger back to rebuild C. Watch the fifth string: it is fretted for C and open for Am. Watch the third string as well: it is open for C and fretted for Am. Those two changes explain more than the instruction “move one finger” alone.
Repeat at a pace that lets you inspect the result. Count a successful repetition only by your own check that the intended strings sound; this page is not listening to or scoring your guitar. End by playing C once more and naming its three chord tones. Use the chord chart to review Am rather than opening an unavailable practice feature.
C chord questions
Why are there five sounding strings but only three notes?
The shape repeats C and E in different octaves. Its pitch sequence is C3, E3, G3, C4, E4, while the three distinct chord-tone names are C, E, and G.
Is the low E string always wrong in a C chord?
E is a C major chord tone. Including the open low E changes the lowest note and creates a C/E arrangement. The diagram on this page deliberately excludes it, so start on string 5 when following this version.
Can I use this shape on an electric guitar?
Yes, when the instrument uses the standard six-string tuning assumed here. The string and fret locations identify the same pitches; the instrument's feel and timbre need not match the reference sound.
How should I save the reference?
Preview the print output and keep the diagram, string labels, and X/O symbols together. Choose the displayed version rather than a different shape with the same general chord name. Reference tones are synthesized, not a recorded guitar performance.
KEEP THE SHAPE NEARBY
Print or save the selected C shape
The print view follows the selected voicing. The fixed PDF is available for the open-C reference.
Printing the Open-position reference fingering.