C Major Scale on Guitar
The C Major Scale is a 7-note scale (bright, happy, pop) built from the formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Its notes are C D E F G A B. Below you'll find the scale on the whole fretboard, the chords that belong to it and related scales — open it in the interactive fretboard for 3NPS, CAGED and pentatonic box patterns with playback.
Notes and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root |
| 2 | D | Major 2nd |
| 3 | E | Major 3rd |
| 4 | F | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | G | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | A | Major 6th |
| 7 | B | Major 7th |
Steps: W – W – H – W – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step)
C Major Scale on the fretboard (15 frets)
Standard tuning E A D G B E. Pink = root, purple = characteristic notes. 3NPS, CAGED and box patterns plus other tunings are in the interactive fretboard.
Chords in the scale
Modes with the same notes
Other scales from C
- Ionian (Major)
- Dorian
- Phrygian
- Lydian
- Mixolydian
- Aeolian (Minor)
- Locrian
- Major pentatonic
- Minor pentatonic
- Blues
- Major blues
- Harmonic minor
- Locrian ♮6
- Ionian ♯5
- Dorian ♯4
- Phrygian dominant
- Lydian ♯2
- Superlocrian 𝄫7
- Melodic minor
- Dorian ♭2
- Lydian augmented
- Lydian dominant
- Mixolydian ♭6
- Locrian ♮2
- Altered (Superlocrian)
- Whole tone
- Diminished (half-whole)
- Diminished (whole-half)
Ionian (Major) in other keys
FAQ
- What notes are in the C Major Scale?
- The C Major Scale has 7 notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Its formula is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.
- What intervals make up the C Major Scale?
- Step pattern: W – W – H – W – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step). Intervals from the root: 2 (Major 2nd), 3 (Major 3rd), 4 (Perfect 4th), 5 (Perfect 5th), 6 (Major 6th), 7 (Major 7th).
- What chords are in the C Major Scale?
- Triads: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, B°. Seventh chords: Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7♭5.
- What is the relative minor of C major?
- A minor — it uses the same notes as C major, starting from the 6th degree.