Key of C major
The key of C major has no sharps or flats. Its scale runs C D E F G A B, and building a triad on each of those seven notes — stacking thirds from the scale itself — produces the key's seven chords.
That gives three major chords, three minor chords and one diminished chord. The majors — C (I), F (IV) and G (V) — are the workhorses that carry most songs in the key; the minors Dm (ii), Em (iii) and Am (vi) supply the softer colors, and B° (vii°) appears mostly as a passing chord.
Relative minor: A minor — the same seven chords, with Am as home base.
The seven chords of C major
Common questions
- What chords are in the key of C major?
- The seven chords in the key of C major are C (I), Dm (ii), Em (iii), F (IV), G (V), Am (vi) and B° (vii°).
- What is the relative minor of C major?
- A minor. The two keys share the same key signature and the same seven chords — A minor simply treats Am, not C, as home.
- How many sharps or flats does C major have?
- None — C major has no sharps or flats; its seven chords are built entirely from natural notes.