Lesson 18 Video

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Lesson 18

Lesson 18 - C Major Chord

C Major Chord

Lesson Goals:

♦ Learn the proper fingering for the C major chord
♦ Play the chord clearly
♦ Visualize the chord pattern

Now it’s time to learn our next chord which is the C major chord. Because it is one of the primary open chords it is one that you will see and play a lot.

The C chord is formed with the 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the 5th string, the 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string, and the 1st finger of the 1st fret of the 2nd string. The 3rd string and 1st string are played open.

Note: The 6th string is not played and should be muted.


Now let’s try playing the C chord. Concentrate on getting your left hand fingers in position and making sure each note sounds clearly. Don’t worry too much about right hand technique.  Just strum the chord with your pick or thumb.

Lesson 18 Summary

Take a few minutes to work on the C major chord. The chord should sound clear with no buzzing or fret noise. Also practice visualizing the chord pattern. You should be able to recall the chord pattern without looking at the chart.

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Lesson Help

Jam Tip!

Notice the "X" above the 6th string on the chord diagram. This means the string should not be played. A good trick to keep the string from sounding is to wrap your thumb up around the neck and lightly touch the 6th string to mute it.

C Chord

18_c chord diagram

C Chord

18_c chord pic 01