Chords in the Key of C Minor (3 flats)
C minor is soul ballad territory, three flats. Cm, Fm, and B♭ carry most of it, with A♭ arriving for the big moment.
The seven chords
| Degree | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| i | Cm | minor |
| ii° | D dim | diminished |
| III | E♭ | major |
| iv | Fm | minor |
| v | Gm | minor |
| VI | A♭ | major |
| VII | B♭ | major |
Cm, Fm, and Gm are the minors, E♭, A♭, and B♭ the majors, D diminished mostly skipped. The v often turns major, G7, when the song wants a harder pull home. That raised note is harmonic minor at work.
Common progressions
Cm, A♭, B♭. Rock's minor lane, Zeppelin through grunge.
Cm, Fm, G7. The minor cadence with the major V pulling it home.
Scales to solo with
C minor pentatonic is the default lead scale, and the C blues scale adds the ♭5. E♭ major pentatonic is the same five notes from the relative major side.
Keep exploring
Relative major
Parallel major
Neighbor keys, one accidental away
Key of C Minor FAQ
What chords are in the key of C minor?
Cm, D diminished, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, and B♭. In practice the v is often played major or as G7 for a stronger pull back to Cm.
What is the relative major of C minor?
E♭ major. Same key signature, same seven chords, with E♭ treated as home.
Why does C minor use G7 if it isn't in the key?
The natural minor's v chord is Gm, and it pulls home gently. Raising its third turns it into G7, which pulls to Cm much harder. That raised note comes from the harmonic minor scale, and cadences borrowed it so often it became the default.