About the C minor chord
The minor chord lowers the third by a semitone, which gives it a darker, sadder colour than the major. It appears in almost every style, from folk to metal. The symbol for it is Cm.
How to play Cm
- Lay your index finger flat across the top 5 strings at fret 3, pressing just behind the fret.
- Put your middle finger on the B string at fret 4.
- Put your ring finger on the D string at fret 5.
- Put your little finger on the G string at fret 5.
- Strum and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of C minor
These are the chords built on each note of the C minor scale, so they all sound good together with Cm. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other C chords
Cm chord questions
What notes are in a C minor chord?
C minor is made of C, E♭ and G. In intervals that is 1, ♭3, 5 above the root, C.
What is the easiest way to play Cm?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 3 5 5 4 3 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is Cm a barre chord?
The main shape uses a barre, where one finger holds down several strings at once. Press just behind the fret and roll the finger slightly onto its side.