C minor chord on piano (Cm)
Cm is C, E♭ and G. You'll find C just left of the pair of black keys (a white key). Hit Play and watch each key light as it sounds.
root position · C–E♭–G · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- C · E♭ · G
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
How to play Cm on piano
Count keys (black and white) from C: 3 half steps up to E♭ then 4 half steps up to G. That's the whole chord: 3 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on C, 3 on E♭ and 5 on G.
- Left hand: 5 on C, 3 on E♭ and 1 on G.
- On the keyboard it's white, black and white keys, the same pattern as Fm and Gm, so your hand shape carries over.
Cm inversions
- root position: C–E♭–G. Fingers 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: E♭–G–C, with E♭ at the bottom. RH 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: G–C–E♭, G lowest. RH 1-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let Cm sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Changing from Cm to the chords around it
Songs rarely hold Cm for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- F (V in B♭ major): Cm to F: play F in 2nd inversion (C–F–A) and C stays under the same finger, while E♭ moves up to F and G up to A. F on piano
- E♭ (IV in B♭ major): Cm to E♭: play E♭ in 2nd inversion (B♭–E♭–G) and E♭ and G stay under the same fingers, while C moves down to B♭. E♭ on piano
- B♭ (I in B♭ major): Cm to B♭: play B♭ in root position (B♭–D–F), while C moves down to B♭, E♭ down to D and G down to F. B♭ on piano
Cm has the gentle, slightly melancholy sound of a minor chord. A minor chord softens a progression. Try Cm right after C major to hear how much one note changes. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
Practice Cm in two minutes
Roll the chord up and back down, C, E♭, G, E♭, C, before playing it as a block. Finish with the inversions in order: C–E♭–G; E♭–G–C; G–C–E♭.
The keys of Cm
Cm is a minor chord, 1–♭3–5 from C. Root position, from the bottom: how Cm is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| E♭ | black key | RH 3 · LH 3 | minor third |
| G | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
Where Cm shows up
In C minor, i–VI–III–VII on piano is Cm (C–E♭–G), A♭ (A♭–C–E♭), E♭ (E♭–G–B♭) and B♭ (B♭–D–F). About the minor anthem.
In C minor, i–iv–V on piano is Cm (C–E♭–G), Fm (F–A♭–C) and G (G–B–D). About the minor cadence.
In C minor, i–VII–VI–V on piano is Cm (C–E♭–G), B♭ (B♭–D–F), A♭ (A♭–C–E♭) and G (G–B–D). About the Andalusian cadence.
Cm on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: Cm on guitar and Cm on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Close to Cm
Other minor chords
Cm on piano: questions
What notes are in Cm on piano?
C, E♭ and G: C (white key), E♭ (black key) and G (white key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play Cm on piano?
Press C, E♭ and G together (1 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on C, 3 on E♭ and 5 on G.
What are the inversions of Cm?
1st inversion (E♭–G–C) and 2nd inversion (G–C–E♭), after root position (C–E♭–G). Same notes, a different one at the bottom.
What does Cm look like on the keyboard?
white, black and white keys, the same pattern as Fm and Gm, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Cm. Updated September 2026.