Key · major

The key of C Major

C Major has no sharps or flats. Its scale is C D E F G A B. The seven chords built on those degrees are I C, ii Dm, iii Em, IV F, V G, vi Am and vii° Bdim; the dominant is G and the subdominant F. Its relative minor is A Minor and its parallel minor is C Minor.

Key signature
No sharps or flats
Scale
C D E F G A B
Relative minor
A Minor
Parallel minor
C Minor

The scale on the keyboard

The C Major scale on the piano keyboard: C D E F G A B12312345CDEFGABC

Fingering for both hands, the step pattern and the other forms are on the C Major scale page.

Scale degrees

DegreeNoteNameInterval from the tonic
1CTonicUnison
2DSupertonicMajor 2nd
3EMediantMajor 3rd
4FSubdominantPerfect 4th
5GDominantPerfect 5th
6ASubmediantMajor 6th
7BLeading ToneMajor 7th

Chords in C Major

One chord on each degree of the scale. The dominant is G and the subdominant F.

NumeralTriadQualitySeventh
ICMajorCmaj7
iiDmMinorDm7
iiiEmMinorEm7
IVFMajorFmaj7
VGMajorG7
viAmMinorAm7
vii°BdimDiminishedBm7♭5

Chord functions

FunctionChords
TonicI · iii · vi
Subdominantii · IV
DominantV · vii°

Common progressions in C Major

ProgressionChordsLevel
I – IV – VC – F – GEasy
I – IV – V – IC – F – G – CEasy
I – V – vi – IVC – G – Am – FEasy
I – vi – IV – VC – Am – F – GEasy
I – IV – I – VC – F – C – GEasy
I – V – IV – IC – G – F – CEasy
I – IV – V – IVC – F – G – FEasy
I – ii – IV – VC – Dm – F – GEasy
vi – IV – I – VAm – F – C – GMedium
I – vi – ii – VC – Am – Dm – GMedium
I – IV – vi – VC – F – Am – GMedium
I – iii – IV – VC – Em – F – GMedium
I – iii – vi – IVC – Em – Am – FMedium
IV – I – V – viF – C – G – AmMedium
I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – VC – G – Am – Em – F – C – F – GMedium
I – IV – vii° – iii – vi – ii – V – IC – F – Bdim – Em – Am – Dm – G – CHard
ii – V – IDm – G – CMedium
iim7 – V7 – Imaj7Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7Hard
ii – V – I – viDm – G – C – AmHard
I – VI – ii – VC – A – Dm – GHard
I – II – V – IC – D – G – CHard
I – bVII – IV – IC – B♭ – F – CMedium
I – bIII – IVC – E♭ – FMedium
I – V – bVII – IVC – G – B♭ – FMedium
I – bVI – bVII – IC – A♭ – B♭ – CHard
I – IV – iv – IC – F – Fm – CHard
12-Bar Blues (I7 – IV7 – V7)C7 – C7 – C7 – C7 – F7 – F7 – C7 – C7 – G7 – F7 – C7 – G7Medium
Quick-Change BluesC7 – F7 – C7 – C7 – F7 – F7 – C7 – C7 – G7 – F7 – C7 – G7Medium

The other keys

G MajorD MajorA MajorE MajorB MajorF♯ MajorD♭ MajorA♭ MajorE♭ MajorB♭ MajorF MajorA MinorE MinorB MinorF♯ MinorC♯ MinorG♯ MinorE♭ MinorB♭ MinorF MinorC MinorG MinorD Minor

Part of the key reference. See also the chords and the scales.