Key · minor
The key of C Minor
C Minor has 3 flats (B♭ E♭ A♭). Its scale is C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭. The seven chords built on those degrees are i Cm, ii° Ddim, III E♭, iv Fm, v Gm, VI A♭ and VII B♭; the dominant is Gm and the subdominant Fm. Its relative major is E♭ Major and its parallel major is C Major.
The scale on the keyboard
Fingering for both hands, the step pattern and the other forms are on the C Natural Minor scale page.
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Name | Interval from the tonic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | Tonic | Unison |
| 2 | D | Supertonic | Major 2nd |
| 3 | E♭ | Mediant | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | F | Subdominant | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | G | Dominant | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | A♭ | Submediant | Minor 6th |
| 7 | B♭ | Subtonic | Minor 7th |
Chords in C Minor
One chord on each degree of the scale. The dominant is Gm and the subdominant Fm.
| Numeral | Triad | Quality | Seventh |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Cm | Minor | Cm7 |
| ii° | Ddim | Diminished | Dm7♭5 |
| III | E♭ | Major | E♭maj7 |
| iv | Fm | Minor | Fm7 |
| v | Gm | Minor | Gm7 |
| VI | A♭ | Major | A♭maj7 |
| VII | B♭ | Major | B♭7 |
Chord functions
| Function | Chords |
|---|---|
| Tonic | i · III · VI |
| Subdominant | ii° · iv |
| Dominant | v · VII · V (harmonic) |
Common progressions in C Minor
| Progression | Chords | Level |
|---|---|---|
| i – iv – v | Cm – Fm – Gm | Easy |
| i – iv – V | Cm – Fm – G | Easy |
| i – VI – III – VII | Cm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭ | Easy |
| i – VII – VI – VII | Cm – B♭ – A♭ – B♭ | Easy |
| i – VII – VI – V | Cm – B♭ – A♭ – G | Medium |
| i – VI – iv – V | Cm – A♭ – Fm – G | Medium |
| i – iv – VII – III | Cm – Fm – B♭ – E♭ | Medium |
| i – III – VII – iv | Cm – E♭ – B♭ – Fm | Medium |
| i – iv – i – V | Cm – Fm – Cm – G | Medium |
| i – IV – i – V | Cm – F – Cm – G | Hard |
| ii° – V – i | Ddim – G – Cm | Hard |
| iiø7 – V7 – im7 | Dm7♭5 – G7 – Cm7 | Hard |
| 12-Bar Minor Blues | Cm – Cm – Cm – Cm – Fm – Fm – Cm – Cm – A♭ – G – Cm – G | Hard |
The other keys
Part of the key reference. See also the chords and the scales.