Chords in every key · 3 flats
Chords in the key of C minor
The seven chords in C minor are Cm, D°, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭ and B♭. C minor has three flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭.
The seven chords
Play the chords of C minor
Tap a chord to hear it. The A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. is its place in the key; the colour is its job: home, moving away, or pulling back home.
None of the chords in C minor has an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em., so you play them as A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck., or put a A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on and use open shapes from an easier key.
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Key signature and scale
The C minor scale
C minor has three flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭.
- C1
- D2
- E♭♭3
- F4
- G5
- A♭♭6
- B♭♭7
- C, the tonic
- Other scale notes
Progressions
Common chord progressions in C minor
The same patterns of A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. turn up in thousands of songs. Here they are in this key, ready to play.
Minor pop
i – VI – III – VII
- Cm
- A♭
- E♭
- B♭
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Minor pop in every keyAndalusian cadence
i – VII – VI – V
- Cm
- B♭
- A♭
- G
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Andalusian cadence in every keyMinor ii–V–i
iiø7 – V7 – i7
- Dm7♭5
- G7
- Cm7
Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.
Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves
Minor ii–V–i in every key
Related keys
Keys close to C minor
Keys that share most of their notes sound natural side by side, which is why songs so often move between them.
- Relative major: same notesE♭ majorE♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭, Cm and D°
- Parallel major: same tonicC majorC, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B°
- One step anticlockwiseF minorFm, G°, A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭ and E♭
- One step clockwiseG minorGm, A°, B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭ and F
Capo
Play C minor with a capo
C minor's main chords are Cm, Fm, Gm and A♭. With the A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 3, play them as Am, Dm, Em and F: three of the four are A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em..
Questions
C minor, in short
- What chords are in the key of C minor?
- The seven chords in C minor are Cm, D°, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭ and B♭. C minor has three flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭.
- What is the relative major of C minor?
- E♭ major. It uses the same seven notes and the same The sharps or flats written at the start of each line of music, telling you which notes the key changes. as C minor, so the two keys share all their chords.
- How many flats are in C minor?
- C minor has three flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭.
- Which keys are next to C minor on the circle of fifths?
- F minor (one step anticlockwise) and G minor (one step clockwise). Their chords overlap most with C minor's, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.