Piano chord · Triads
C minor chord on piano
Right hand: C (1), E♭ (3), G (5)
How to play Cm on piano: the keys to press, which fingers to use, inversions and how it’s written on the staff.
Darker and more melancholy than major, but just as stable.
Cm is the ii chord in B♭ major, iii in A♭ major and vi in E♭ major. In minor keys: i in C minor and iv in G minor.
- Notes
- CE♭G
- Formula
- 1♭35
- Built from
- root · minor 3rd · perfect 5th
Piano
Root position · numbers are finger numbers
How to play it
Right handC1 · thumbE♭3 · middleG5 · pinky
Left handC5 · pinkythe root, an octave lower
Finger numbers: 1 thumb · 2 index · 3 middle · 4 ring · 5 pinky. Inversions use the same notes with a different one on the bottom — they help you move smoothly between chords. Tap any key to hear it.
Tips for playing Cm on piano
C, E♭, G — lower the E of C major by one key and you have C minor. Hearing that single-note change is one of the best ear-training exercises there is.
You’ll find Cm in common progressions such as Cm–A♭–E♭–B♭ (the minor-feel pop progression in E♭ major), Cm–Fm–G–Cm (the minor cadence in C minor) and Cm–B♭–A♭–G (the Andalusian cadence in C minor).
