The Center of Modern Music

C Major is the "people's key"—no sharps, no flats. Finding C on the fretboard is often the first step in learning music theory. It is the root of the C Major scale and the gateway to understanding the piano-to-guitar relationship.

Landmark Cs

• A String, 3rd Fret: The root of the first open C chord you likely learned.
• B String, 1st Fret: The high root note of that same open chord.
• Low E String, 8th Fret: The root of the C Barre chord.