Learn the C minor chord in our guide made specifically for left-handed guitarists. Learn three versions of C minor, take a deep dive into the theory behind the chord, and discover how C minor fits into chord progressions.
Interested in learning more left-handed chords? Check out our left-handed chord library.
How to play the C minor chord
Open position
- Finger Placement:
- Barre the 1st – 5th strings at the 3rd fret with your index finger.
- Place your middle finger on the 4th fret of the B (2nd) string.
- Place your middle finger on the 5th fret of the D (4th) string.
- Place your pinky on the 5th fret of the G (3rd) string.
- Strumming
- Strum the top 5 strings, omit the low E (6th string).
C Minor Chord – E Barre Shape
- Finger Placement:
- Use your index finger to barre (press down) all the strings at the 8th fret.
- Place your ring finger (3rd finger) on the 10th fret of the A (5th) string.
- Place your pinky (4th finger) on the 10th fret of the D (4th) string.
- Strumming
- Strum all six strings from the low E (6th) string down to the high E (1st) string.
C Minor Chord – Moveable Shape
- Finger Placement:
- Barre the top three strings (1st – 3rd) at the 8th fret with your index (1st) finger.
- Use your ring finger (3rd finger) to fret the D string (4th) at the 10th fret.
- Strumming
- Strum the top 4 strings, from the D (4th) to the high E (1st) string.
Tips for Playing the C Minor Chord on Guitar
- Barre Precision: Ensure your index finger is pressing evenly across all the strings at the 3rd fret, forming a full barre. Pay attention and do your best to avoid buzzing on the high E and B strings.
- Finger Placement: Position your middle finger on the 4th fret of the B string (2nd string), your ring finger on the 5th fret of the D string (4th string), and your pinky on the 5th fret of the G string (3rd string). Make sure these fingers are pressing down with the tips to avoid touching adjacent strings.
You can read more tips on playing chords cleanly by clicking here.
Chord Construction From The C Minor Scale
The C minor chord is derived from the C minor scale. This scale provides the foundation for the chord’s construction. Here’s a breakdown of the scale, its notes, and how it is constructed.
C minor chord construction – using scale degrees
| Scale Degree | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C Minor Scale | C | D | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B♭ |
| C Minor Chord | C | – | E♭ | – | G | – | – |
The C minor chord consists of three notes: C (the root note), E♭ (the minor third), and G (the perfect fifth).
To construct the C minor chord from scale degrees, we refer to the C minor scale, which includes the notes: C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, and B♭.
To form a C minor chord, we take the 1st, flattened 3rd (b3), and 5th degrees of this scale.
In this case, those degrees correspond to the notes C (the root), E♭ (the minor third), and G (the perfect fifth). When played together, these three notes create the C minor chord.
C minor chord construction – using intervals
| Interval | Root (C) | M2 | m3 | P4 | P5 | m6 | m7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C Minor Scale | C | D | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B♭ |
| C Minor Chord | C | – | E♭ | – | G | – | – |
Alternatively, we can create the C minor chord by looking at the intervals between its notes.
The intervals within a C minor chord consist of a minor third (m3) and a perfect fifth (P5) above the root note (C). The minor third, E♭, is three half-steps (semitones) above C, and the perfect fifth, G, is seven half-steps (semitones) above C.
Another way to visualize the construction of the C minor chord is in stacked thirds, e.g., passing through three note letters of the C minor scale. The 2nd note of the C minor chord is a third above the root note of C (C-D-E♭). The 3rd note of the chord is a third above the 2nd note of E♭ (E♭-F-G).
The Role Of C Minor – Chord Function
What is Chord Function?
| Key | Chord Number | Function |
|---|---|---|
| G Minor | V | Dominant: Creates tension, often resolving to the tonic (C Minor). |
| F Minor | IV | Subdominant: Provides a stepping stone between the tonic (C Minor) and dominant (G Minor). |
| C Minor | I | Tonic: The ‘home’ chord of the C Minor key. |
| E♭ Major | III | Mediant: Offers a contrast to the tonic (C Minor) and can lead to the subdominant (F Minor). |
| D Diminished | II | Supertonic: Commonly leads to the dominant (G Minor). |
| A♭ Major | VI | Submediant: Often used in chord progressions moving from the tonic (C Minor) to the submediant (A♭ Major) and then to the dominant (G Minor). |
| B♭ Major | VII | Leading Tone: Creates a strong desire to resolve to the tonic (C Minor). |
| Other Keys | NA | Not present. |
- Key: The musical key.
- Chord Number: Indicates the position of the chord within the key.
- Chord Function: Describes the musical role of the chord in that key (e.g., Tonic, Subdominant, etc.).
