Major Key Chords
Let’s find the chords for the key of C flat major. We can use these chords to create chord progressions and play creatively in the key of C flat.
How to Find Chords for C Flat
To find the chords for C flat, we’ll first need to build a C flat major scale (learn how to build a major scale here).
Here are the notes for C flat major:
C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F♭ – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭
To build the chords for C flat major, we’ll build a “1 – 3 – 5” chord off each note of the scale, using only the notes of the scale to build the chords.
Starting on C♭, we’ll count “1 – 3 – 5” to build our first chord, using only the notes of the scale. When we do, we get: C♭ – E♭ – G♭
Then we’ll start on D♭ and build another “1 – 3 – 5” chord using only the notes of the scale: D♭ – F♭ – A♭
Next we’ll start on E♭ and build another “1 – 3 – 5” chord, using only the notes of the scale to build the chord: E♭ – G♭ – B♭
We can continue this pattern, building a “1 – 3 – 5” chord off each note the scale, and using only the notes of the scale to build the chords.
Chords for Major Keys Printable
This 20-page PDF will help you learn the chords for every major key! Use these chords to build chord progressions and play creatively.
Chords for C Flat Major
Here are the chords for C flat major:
C♭ – E♭ – G♭ = C♭ major chord
D♭ – F♭ – A♭ = D♭ minor chord
E♭ – G♭ – B♭ = E♭ minor chord
F♭ – A♭ – C♭ = F♭ major chord
G♭ – B♭ – D♭ = G♭ major chord
A♭ – C♭ – E♭ = A♭ minor chord
B♭ – D♭ – F♭ = B♭ diminished chord
Other Major Key Chords
You can find chords for the other major keys below:
C Major Chords
G Major Chords
D Major Chords
A Major Chords
E Major Chords
B Major Chords
F Sharp Major Chords
C Sharp Major Chords
F Major Chords
B Flat Major Chords
E Flat Major Chords
A Flat Major Chords
D Flat Major Chords
G Flat Major Chords
Enharmonic Keys
Some keys are considered “enharmonic”. This means they use the same notes on the piano, but go by two different names.
The key of C flat major is enharmonic with B major, because these two keys use the same notes on the piano, but are labeled differently.
There are six total enharmonic keys:
B major and C flat major
F sharp major and G flat major
C sharp major and D flat major
To understand these relationships better, take a look at the circle of fifths.
How to Label the Chords
You may have noticed the chords we built were either major, minor or diminished, and you may be wondering how we know the difference. The difference between these chord types depends on the intervals used to build them (learn about piano intervals here).
But to summarize, there are actually four types of “1 – 3 – 5” chords, or “triads”:
Major chords are built using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale.
Minor chords are major chords with the middle note lowered 1/2 step.
Augmented chords are major chords with the upper note raised 1/2 step.
Diminished chords are minor chords with the upper note lowered 1/2 step.
When we build a chord off each note of the major scale, using only the notes of the scale to build the chords, we’ll always get these chord types in this order:
Major
Minor
Minor
Major
Major
Minor
Diminished
Primary Chords for C Flat Major
Each major key has three “primary” chords. We can find the primary chords for any major key by building a chord off the first, fourth and fifth notes of the matching major scale.
The primary chords for C flat major are:
C♭ major
F♭ major
G♭ major
We’ll use these chords often when playing in the key of C flat.
Conclusion
And now you know how to find chords for C flat major – and any other major key as well! And you can use those chords to create chord progressions in that key.
The piano begins to come to life!
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