C minor
How to play Cm — Minor
Cm (Minor)C · E♭ · G
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
C minor — notes and structure
The Cm chord has a darker, sadder sound than its major counterpart, thanks to the lowered third.
The Cm minor consists of the notes C, E♭, G. Its interval structure is R–3–5 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the piano keyboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Cm stacks a minor third (E♭) and a perfect fifth (G) above the root C.
To play Cm, press the keys C, E♭, G together — the root C is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
What key is Cm in?
Every note of Cm belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- B♭ major — the ii chord
- E♭ major — the vi chord
- A♭ major — the iii chord
- G minor — the iv chord
Chords that go with Cm
In B♭ major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Cm next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the C minor chord on piano?
- The Cm chord is made of the notes C, E♭, G. It has a darker, sadder sound than its major counterpart, thanks to the lowered third.
- How do you play C minor on the piano?
- Press C, E♭, G at the same time, with the root C as the lowest note. The interactive keyboard above lights up the exact keys.
- What is the minor chord formula?
- Its interval structure is R–3–5 above the root — the same shape transposed to any of the twelve keys.
- What key does Cm belong to?
- Cm fits B♭ major (where it is the ii chord), E♭ major (where it is the vi chord), A♭ major (where it is the iii chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.