C uses the notes C, E, G. This left-handed chord chart puts the shape in your playing orientation. Tune to Standard before trying these shapes; the string labels on each chart show the tuning used.
Three playable chord shapes
All three charts use Standard tuning. Compare the named shapes and their fret positions, then choose the one that fits your chord change. The shapes shown are alternatives, not a progression.
Tuning, lowest to highest: E – A – D – G – B – E. Chord names describe the notes that sound in this tuning.
Shape 1
Open C shape
Shape 2
A shape · fret 3
Shape 3
E shape · fret 8
What you are playing
Chord notes: C, E, G. Standard tablature stays unchanged, so you can use the same note order as any mainstream lesson or transcription.
Practise it for ten minutes
Form the first clean shape without strumming, check each intended string, then release and rebuild it five times. Finish with slow four-beat changes between this chord and one familiar chord in Standard.
- Shape Type: This is an open-position voicing, so the nut and open-string markers matter as much as the fretted notes.
- String Check: Let E (string 1) and G (string 3) ring open, fret B (string 2) at fret 1, D (string 4) at fret 2 and A (string 5) at fret 3, mute E (string 6).
- Grip Control: Keep the fretting hand relaxed and let the mirrored chart show you which notes need the clearest pressure.
- Next Scale: The quickest lead connection from this chord is C Major. Start there if you want the page to turn into a chord-to-scale practice loop.