Banjo · key of C major

Chords in the key of C major

The seven chords in the key of C major are C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim. C, F and G are the major chords (I, IV and V), Dm, Em and Am are the minor chords (ii, iii and vi), and Bdim is diminished (vii°). Its relative minor is A minor, which uses the same seven chords.

Key

Scale

The chords of C major
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
I	Chome	C E G	Cmaj7home	C E G B	1	tonic
ii	Dmrestless	D F A	Dm7restless	D F A C	2m	supertonic
iii	Emhalf-light	E G B	Em7half-light	E G B D	3m	mediant
IV	Fthe door	F A C	Fmaj7the door	F A C E	4	subdominant
V	Gthe pull	G B D	G7the pull	G B D F	5	dominant
vi	Amthe shadow	A C E	Am7the shadow	A C E G	6m	submediant
vii°	Bdimthe edge	B D F	Bm7♭5the edge	B D F A	7°	leading tone

Sound

Strum or arpeggiate any chord, tap a note to hear it, drag the strip under a picture to play it further up the neck, or pick another inversion. Library opens the chord there, with every other way to play it.

C

LibraryBanjo · Standard

I · tonic

Dm

LibraryBanjo · Standard

ii · supertonic

Em

LibraryBanjo · Standard

iii · mediant

F

LibraryBanjo · Standard

IV · subdominant

G

LibraryBanjo · Standard

V · dominant

Am

LibraryBanjo · Standard

vi · submediant

Bdim

LibraryBanjo · Standard

vii° · leading tone

Chord progressions in C major

Press a chord to hear it and see its shape, or Play to hear the progression on banjo. The colours say what each chord does in the key.

Sound Pattern Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

homethe pullthe doorthe shadowrestlesshalf-light

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

The three-chord trick

I | IV | V | I

Key Chord chart

The chords of countless folk, country, blues and rock and roll songs.

The pop progression

I | V | vi | IV

Key Chord chart

I–V–vi–IV, behind a great many hits since the 1980s.

The fifties progression

I | vi | IV | V

Key Chord chart

I–vi–IV–V, the doo-wop changes.

The pop progression from its minor chord

vi | IV | I | V

Key Chord chart

vi–IV–I–V: the pop progression started on its minor chord, which gives it a sadder sound.

The royal road

IV | V | iii | vi

Key Chord chart

IV–V–iii–vi, a favourite of Japanese pop.

ii–V–I

ii7 | V7 | Imaj7 | Imaj7

Key Chord chart

The turnaround of jazz, in seventh chords.

The relative minor: A minor

A minor has the same notes and the same seven chords as C major, starting from A. A song in one often moves to the other. The parallel minor, C minor, starts on the same note with a different set of chords.

Other ways to play it with a capo

C major is one of the easy keys on banjo, with open chords. A capo gives other shapes for the same sound:

Capo 5, the shapes of G major: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F♯dim

The C major scale and key signature

The notes of C major are C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Its key signature has no sharps or flats. Each chord of the key is built from these notes, a third apart: a chord on every note of the scale. See the C major scale on the banjo neck, and the C major pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, G major and F major sit on either side of C major. Each shares six of its seven notes, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.

Every key

C D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

C minor C♯ minor D minor E♭ minor E minor F minor F♯ minor G minor G♯ minor A minor B♭ minor B minor

All twenty-four on one page: chords in every key. To print these chords, open them as a chord chart, or make your own in the chord chart maker. This key on guitar, bass, ukulele and mandolin.