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C minor chord

C minor chord for guitar in different forms: open, barre chords and with a capo.

Alternative shapes

Learn from video

Try in a chord progression

Eb - Cm - Ab - Eb - Bb

Progressions with diagrams (pdf)

Chords that sound good together with C minor

The primary chords that sound good to combine with Cm in chord progressions are: Eb, Fm, Gm, Ab, Bb.

Follow-up chords

Chords that are likely to follow C minor in progressions:
› Eb
› Fm
› Ab
› G7

Finger position (Cm chord)

Index (1st) finger on 4th (thinnest) string, 1st fret.
Ring (2nd) finger on 5th (thinnest) string, 3rd fret.

For pdf, see The Chord Reference ebook with over 800 chord charts.

Alternatives with capo

Am shape with a capo on 3rd fret (see picture).
Em shape with a capo on 8th fret.

Chord names

Cm is an abbreviation for C minor (a less common abbreviation is Cmin).

Theory of the Cm chord

The notes that the Cm chord consists of are C, Eb, G.
To get Cm7 add Bb.
To get Cm6 add A.

Inversions

1st inversion: Cm/Eb (means that Eb is the bass note).
2nd inversion: Cm/G (means that G is the bass note).
Diagrams of these inversions

Assorted slash chords

Versions with alternate bass notes in short notation:

Cm/D: XX0543
Cm/E: 03101X
Cm/Ab: 4310XX
Cm/A: X0554X
Cm/B: X21013
Cm/Bb: X1101X

Alternative chord names

Cm/D is theoretically identical with Cmadd9/D.
Cm/A is theoretically identical with the 3rd inversion of Cm6.
Cm/B is theoretically identical with the 3rd inversion of Cm(maj7).

Omissions (dyads)

Cm (no3) is a C minor with no third (Eb).
Cm (no5) is a C minor with no fifth (G).

Written in tab format

- - -
- - -
- 0 -
- 1 -
- 3 -
- - -

Back to minor chords

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