Root position
C – Eb – GThe root C is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
3 notes · 1 · ♭3 · 5
C Minor Piano Chord (Cm)
C minor is built from C, Eb and G — the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5, or 3 and 7 semitones above C. The shape uses 2 white and 1 black key, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
C Minor
Notes
C · D# · GFormula
1 · ♭3 · 5Right hand
1 · 3 · 5C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).
The finder above already holds Cm. Press P or the Play chord button to hear C, Eb, G sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in C minor
A minor triad reverses the major arrangement: a minor third first, then a major third. Only the middle note moves, yet the chord sounds noticeably darker and more inward. Minor triads sit on the second, third and sixth degrees of a major scale, and on the first degree of a minor key.
| Note | Interval | Degree | Semitones | Right hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cwhite key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| Ebblack key | Minor third | ♭3 | 3 | 3 · middle finger |
| Gwhite key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play C minor on piano
- Find C: it is the white key immediately left of every group of two black keys.
- Build upwards from C using 3 and 7 semitones to reach Eb and G.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on C, finger 3 on Eb and finger 5 on G. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
- Move your hand a little further in towards the fallboard so the black key sits comfortably under your fingers.
- Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how C minor settles.
- Try first inversion as well: Eb – G – C. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
C minor in 3 positions
An inversion keeps the same 3 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.
First inversion
Eb – G – CEb is the lowest note, so the minor third sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
G – C – EbG is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
In context
Which keys contain C minor
In E♭ major the chord functions as vi. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 6 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.
- E♭ majorvi
- A♭ majoriii
- B♭ majorii
- C minori
- F minorv
- G minoriv
Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.
Compare
C minor against C major
C minor and C major share C and G. Moving the major third E down 1 semitone to the minor third Eb turns C major into C minor.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes C, G still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open C major →Good questions
C minor questions
What notes are in the C minor chord?
C minor contains C, Eb and G. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5, or 3 and 7 semitones above C.
What is the right-hand fingering for C minor?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on C, 3 (middle finger) on Eb and 5 (little finger) on G. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is C minor different from C major?
C minor and C major share C and G. Moving the major third E down 1 semitone to the minor third Eb turns C major into C minor.
Which keys use the C minor chord?
It occurs naturally in E♭ major (vi), A♭ major (iii), B♭ major (ii), C minor (i), F minor (v) and G minor (iv). The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of C minor?
root position is C – Eb – G, first inversion is Eb – G – C and second inversion is G – C – Eb. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.