Guitar, piano and ukulele chords

Cm chord (C minor)

The Cm chord (C minor) has 3 notes: C, E♭ and G. It is a minor chord: root, minor third and perfect fifth. It sounds darker and more intimate than major. It works as i in C minor, vi in E flat major and ii in B flat major.

How to play it on guitar

An x is a string you don't play and 0 is an open string. The number on the left is the fret where the shape starts.

×
Open
x31013
3fr ×
Barre chord · fret 3
x35543
8fr
Barre chord · fret 8
8(10)(10)888

Notes in the chord

NoteInterval
CRoot
E♭Minor third
GPerfect fifth

Inversions

  • Root position: C – E♭ – G
  • First inversion: E♭ – G – C
  • Second inversion: G – C – E♭

On piano

The highlighted keys (C, E♭ and G) make the chord in root position.

On ukulele

Usual shape
0333
5fr
Higher up the neck · fret 5
5786

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Cm chord?

Cm has 3 notes: C, E♭ and G. It is a minor chord: root, minor third and perfect fifth.

How do you play Cm on guitar?

The usual shape is x31013, read from the low E string to the high E string.

What keys is Cm in?

Cm is in E flat major (vi), A flat major (iii), B flat major (ii), C minor (i), F minor (v) and G minor (iv).