GuitarChords.net

C major triads

A triad is three notes played together. Here that is C major: C, E, and G.

Each picture plays those three notes on three strings next to each other. The other three strings stay quiet. There are twelve pictures.

Count strings from the thin one. The 1st string is high E. The 2nd is B, the 3rd is G, the 4th is D, the 5th is A, and the 6th is low E, the thick string. The line under each picture starts at that thick string.

The heading on each picture is the lowest note you play. That note is on the thickest of the three strings in the picture.

In the list under a picture, 1st, 3rd, and 5th are the note's job in the chord, not the string number. 1st is C, the note C major is named after. 3rd is E. 5th is G. The picture marks that job as deg.

x means muted. 0 means open.

Muted means do not play that string. Open means play it with no finger. A number on a string is the finger: 1 is index, 2 is middle, 3 is ring, 4 is pinky. Barre means one finger holds two or three strings on the same fret.

On the G (3rd string), B (2nd string), and high E (1st string)

These pictures leave the low E (6th string), the A (5th string), and the D (4th string) quiet. The lowest note sits on the G string, the 3rd string. The first picture's lowest note is G.

G is the lowest note, on the G (3rd string)

Short code xxx010, thickest string first.

  1. Low E string: muted, do not play.
  2. A string: muted, do not play.
  3. D string: muted, do not play.
  4. G string: open, note G, 5th.
  5. B string: fret 1, index finger, note C, 1st.
  6. High E string: open, note E, 3rd.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

C is the lowest note, on the G (3rd string)

Short code xxx553, thickest string first.

  1. Low E string: muted, do not play.
  2. A string: muted, do not play.
  3. D string: muted, do not play.
  4. G string: fret 5, middle finger, note C, 1st.
  5. B string: fret 5, ring finger, note E, 3rd.
  6. High E string: fret 3, index finger, note G, 5th.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

E is the lowest note, on the G (3rd string)

Short code xxx988, thickest string first.

Barre fret 8 with the index finger on the B and high E strings.

  1. Low E string: muted, do not play.
  2. A string: muted, do not play.
  3. D string: muted, do not play.
  4. G string: fret 9, middle finger, note E, 3rd.
  5. B string: fret 8, index finger, note G, 5th.
  6. High E string: fret 8, index finger, note C, 1st.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

On the D (4th string), G (3rd string), and B (2nd string)

These pictures leave the low E (6th string), the A (5th string), and the high E (1st string) quiet. The lowest note sits on the D string, the 4th string. The first picture's lowest note is E.

E is the lowest note, on the D (4th string)

Short code xx201x, thickest string first.

  1. Low E string: muted, do not play.
  2. A string: muted, do not play.
  3. D string: fret 2, middle finger, note E, 3rd.
  4. G string: open, note G, 5th.
  5. B string: fret 1, index finger, note C, 1st.
  6. High E string: muted, do not play.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

G is the lowest note, on the D (4th string)

Short code xx555x, thickest string first.

Barre fret 5 with the index finger on the D, G and B strings.

  1. Low E string: muted, do not play.
  2. A string: muted, do not play.
  3. D string: fret 5, index finger, note G, 5th.
  4. G string: fret 5, index finger, note C, 1st.
  5. B string: fret 5, index finger, note E, 3rd.
  6. High E string: muted, do not play.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

C is the lowest note, on the D (4th string)

Short code xxa98x, thickest string first.

  1. Low E string: muted, do not play.
  2. A string: muted, do not play.
  3. D string: fret 10, ring finger, note C, 1st.
  4. G string: fret 9, middle finger, note E, 3rd.
  5. B string: fret 8, index finger, note G, 5th.
  6. High E string: muted, do not play.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

On the A (5th string), D (4th string), and G (3rd string)

These pictures leave the low E (6th string), the B (2nd string), and the high E (1st string) quiet. The lowest note sits on the A string, the 5th string. The first picture's lowest note is C.

C is the lowest note, on the A (5th string)

Short code x320xx, thickest string first.

  1. Low E string: muted, do not play.
  2. A string: fret 3, middle finger, note C, 1st.
  3. D string: fret 2, index finger, note E, 3rd.
  4. G string: open, note G, 5th.
  5. B string: muted, do not play.
  6. High E string: muted, do not play.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

E is the lowest note, on the A (5th string)

Short code x755xx, thickest string first.

Barre fret 5 with the index finger on the D and G strings.

  1. Low E string: muted, do not play.
  2. A string: fret 7, ring finger, note E, 3rd.
  3. D string: fret 5, index finger, note G, 5th.
  4. G string: fret 5, index finger, note C, 1st.
  5. B string: muted, do not play.
  6. High E string: muted, do not play.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

G is the lowest note, on the A (5th string)

Short code xaa9xx, thickest string first.

  1. Low E string: muted, do not play.
  2. A string: fret 10, middle finger, note G, 5th.
  3. D string: fret 10, ring finger, note C, 1st.
  4. G string: fret 9, index finger, note E, 3rd.
  5. B string: muted, do not play.
  6. High E string: muted, do not play.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

On the low E (6th string), A (5th string), and D (4th string)

These pictures leave the G (3rd string), the B (2nd string), and the high E (1st string) quiet. The lowest note sits on the low E string, the 6th string. The first picture's lowest note is G.

G is the lowest note, on the low E (6th string)

Short code 332xxx, thickest string first.

  1. Low E string: fret 3, middle finger, note G, 5th.
  2. A string: fret 3, ring finger, note C, 1st.
  3. D string: fret 2, index finger, note E, 3rd.
  4. G string: muted, do not play.
  5. B string: muted, do not play.
  6. High E string: muted, do not play.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

C is the lowest note, on the low E (6th string)

Short code 875xxx, thickest string first.

  1. Low E string: fret 8, ring finger, note C, 1st.
  2. A string: fret 7, middle finger, note E, 3rd.
  3. D string: fret 5, index finger, note G, 5th.
  4. G string: muted, do not play.
  5. B string: muted, do not play.
  6. High E string: muted, do not play.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

E is the lowest note, on the low E (6th string)

Short code caaxxx, thickest string first.

Barre fret 10 with the index finger on the A and D strings.

  1. Low E string: fret 12, ring finger, note E, 3rd.
  2. A string: fret 10, index finger, note G, 5th.
  3. D string: fret 10, index finger, note C, 1st.
  4. G string: muted, do not play.
  5. B string: muted, do not play.
  6. High E string: muted, do not play.

C major uses the notes C, E and G.

The first picture, where G is the lowest note, is the three thin strings of the open C major chord. On the C major page that chord is x32010. Here those three strings are xxx010. The open C also plays the A string at fret 3 and the D string at fret 2. This picture leaves those strings quiet.

The whole chord is on the C major page. Other C chords are on C guitar chords.