Chords in the key of C minor
The key of C minor has three flats (B♭, E♭, A♭). Its seven chords are Cm, Ddim, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭ and B♭. Tap any of them, or play them in order.
Tap a numeral to hear one chord; tap a shape to open it.
The chords that do most of the work
Home is Cm. The three chords doing most of the lifting are Fm, A♭ and B♭; add G (the major V, with B borrowed from harmonic minor) when you want a real cadence back to Cm. Without it, B♭ to Cm gives the modal, unresolved ending common in rock.
Key signature
C minor has three flats (B♭, E♭, A♭) in the key signature. Flat keys add one flat per step counterclockwise around the circle of fifths: C minor sits between G minor and F minor.
The notes of the key are the C natural minor scale: C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭. Relative major: E♭ major (same notes). Parallel major: C major (same starting note).
Progressions in C minor
Press play to hear i–VI–III–VII in C minor, then use the key menu to move it.
In C minor, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder
- iCm
- VIA♭
- IIIE♭
- VIIB♭
| Progression | In C minor | |
|---|---|---|
| i–VI–III–VII the minor anthem | Cm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭ | |
| i–iv–V the minor cadence | Cm – Fm – G – Cm | |
| i–VII–VI–V the Andalusian cadence | Cm – B♭ – A♭ – G | |
| i–VII–VI–VII the epic minor loop | Cm – B♭ – A♭ – B♭ |
Borrowed dominants: leaning into other chords of C minor
A secondary dominant is the dominant seventh chord a fifth above any chord of the key. Play it just before that chord and the arrival sounds stronger, as if the song briefly changed key.
- V7 of III
- V7 of iv
- V7 of v
- V7 of VI
- V7 of VII
Borrowing from C major
Minor-key songs often take chords from C major, the parallel major: F (IV), C (I) and Dm (ii). The major IV gives a brighter, Dorian lift, and ending a minor piece on the major I is the old "Picardy third".
Seventh chords in C minor
Add the next note of the scale on top of each chord and you get the key's seventh chords: Cm7, Dm7♭5, E♭maj7, Fm7, Gm7, A♭maj7 and B♭7. With the borrowed major V it becomes G7.
Playing in C minor on guitar
C minor is awkward in open position, so most guitarists use a capo: capo 3rd fret with A minor shapes. Barre chords work too.
Transpose a chord chart · How a capo works
Other keys
Key of C minor: questions
What chords are in the key of C minor?
Cm, Ddim, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭ and B♭. As numerals: i = Cm, ii° = Ddim, III = E♭, iv = Fm, v = Gm, VI = A♭, VII = B♭. Most songs in C minor also use G (major V) in place of Gm.
How many sharps or flats are in C minor?
Three flats (B♭, E♭, A♭).
What is the relative major of C minor?
E♭ major. It uses the same key signature; the difference is which chord feels like home.
What are the i, iv and V chords in C minor?
Cm (i), Fm (iv) and G (V, borrowed from the harmonic minor). Those three chords are enough for thousands of songs.
How do I play in C minor on guitar with a capo?
Capo 3rd fret, then play A minor shapes (Am, F, C, G); they sound as Cm, A♭, E♭, B♭.
Every chord and progression on this page is computed from the C natural minor scale and checked by the site's theory tests. Updated September 2026.