C — the C major guitar chord
C major sounds clear and balanced, and more songs come to rest on it than on any other chord. Its three fingers climb the frets like a staircase. Curl each one so the open G and high E can ring, and start your strum from the A string, not the low E.
How to play it
- Index finger on the B string (2nd), 1st fret.
- Middle finger on the D string (4th), 2nd fret.
- Ring finger on the A string (5th), 3rd fret.
- Let the open G string (3rd) and high E string (1st) ring.
- Don't strum the low E string (6th). It stays silent in this shape.
Changes to practice
Holding C still is the easy part. Songs need you to arrive at it in rhythm, so in Strumhold you practice C as changes, alongside the rest of the Open Majors set: