C Minor
Cm
Notes
C · E♭ · G
Intervals
- RootC (1P)
- Minor 3rdE♭ (3m)
- Perfect 5thG (5P)
Fretboard
Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.
Voicings & shapes
CAGED shapes (3)
Triad inversions (9)
Spread / open triads (8)
About
The C minor triad (C–E♭–G) lowers the third by a half step, introducing a darker, more inward quality. It functions as the tonic of C minor or as ii in B♭ major. The E♭ is the defining tone — it is what separates minor from major and from any sus chord that omits the third entirely. On guitar, the fifth can be omitted or doubled freely; root and ♭3 together are sufficient to establish the minor sound. Minor chords commonly precede dominants (Cm7→F7→B♭Maj7 as ii–V–I) or move within minor diatonic harmony. Compared to Cdim, minor is stable due to its perfect fifth; compared to C, it carries a more subdued, reflective quality.
Chord diagrams
C Minor voicing charts — tap a sheet to open it full size to save or print.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- C Blues (deg 1)
- C Dorian (I)
- C Harmonic Minor (I)
- C Melodic Minor (I)
- C Minor Pentatonic (deg 1)
- C Natural Minor (I)
- C Phrygian (I)
- A Blues (deg 2)
- A Locrian (III)
- A♭ Lydian (III)
- A♭ Major (III)
- B♭ Diminished (deg 2)
- B♭ Dorian (II)
- B♭ Major (II)
- B♭ Melodic Minor (II)
- B♭ Mixolydian (II)
- D Locrian (VII)
- D Phrygian (VII)
- D♭ Diminished (deg 8)
- D♭ Lydian (VII)
- E Diminished (deg 6)
- E Harmonic Minor (VI)
- E♭ Lydian (VI)
- E♭ Major (VI)
- E♭ Major Pentatonic (deg 5)
- E♭ Mixolydian (VI)
- F Dorian (V)
- F Mixolydian (V)
- F Natural Minor (V)
- G Diminished (deg 4)
- G Harmonic Minor (IV)
- G Locrian (IV)
- G Natural Minor (IV)
- G Phrygian (IV)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. The Roman numeral (or scale degree) marks the chord root’s position in the scale.