Cm7: C Minor 7th Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	C, E♭, G, B♭	1-2-3-5
Left	C, E♭, G, B♭	5-3-2-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	C	Perfect unison	0
♭3	E♭	Minor third	3
5	G	Perfect fifth	7
♭7	B♭	Minor seventh	10

Construction

C Minor 7th = Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th + Minor 7th = C, E♭, G, B♭

Note	Interval	Degree
C	Root	1
E♭	Minor 3rd	♭3
G	Perfect 5th	5
B♭	Minor 7th	♭7

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
C	white	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
E♭	black	index finger (2)	middle finger (3)
G	white	middle finger (3)	index finger (2)
B♭	black	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on C, index finger (2) on E♭, middle finger (3) on G, little finger (5) on B♭.

Left hand: little finger (5) on C, middle finger (3) on E♭, index finger (2) on G, thumb (1) on B♭.

C Minor 7th Inversions

Root position
C – E♭ – G – B♭
1st inversion (Cm7/E♭)
E♭ – G – B♭ – C
2nd inversion (Cm7/G)
G – B♭ – C – E♭
3rd inversion (Cm7/B♭)
B♭ – C – E♭ – G

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the C Minor 7th is the tonic (i) chord of C Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, Eb Major — 3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭).

B♭E♭A♭

Order of flats

Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of C Minor 7th

These are the triads built on each degree of the C Minor 7th:

i — C Minor (minor)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	i	C Minor	Minor
2	ii°	D Diminished	Diminished
3	III	D♯ Major	Major
4	iv	F Minor	Minor
5	v	G Minor	Minor
6	VI	G♯ Major	Major
7	VII	A♯ Major	Major

How C Minor 7th functions in a key

The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where C Minor 7th sits diatonically across the common keys:

In E♭ major, C Minor 7th is the vi chord — the tonic.
In C minor, C Minor 7th is the i chord — the tonic.
In B♭ major, C Minor 7th is the ii chord — a predominant.
In G minor, C Minor 7th is the iv chord — a predominant.
In A♭ major, C Minor 7th is the iii chord — a mediant / color chord.
In F minor, C Minor 7th is the v chord.

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes C – E♭ – G – B♭ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

E♭ Major 6→

C Minor 7th : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the C Minor 7th chord on piano?

The C Minor 7th chord contains the notes C – E♭ – G – B♭. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

What notes are in the C Minor 7th chord?

The C Minor 7th chord (Cm7) contains four notes: C (root), Eb (minor third), G (perfect fifth), and Bb (minor seventh). The minor triad with a minor seventh gives this chord its smooth, dark, soulful quality.

How does C Minor 7th differ from C Dominant 7th?

Both have C as root and Bb as seventh. The difference is the third: Cm7 has Eb (minor third) while C7 has E (major third). Cm7 sounds smooth and introspective; C7 sounds bright and driving. This one-semitone difference defines whether the chord is minor or dominant.

How is C Minor 7th used in music?

Cm7 commonly functions as the ii chord in Bb Major (Cm7–F7–Bbmaj7) or as the i chord in C minor jazz harmony. It is one of the most versatile chords in jazz, R&B, neo-soul, and lo-fi hip-hop, providing a smooth, mellow foundation.

What genres commonly use Minor 7th chords?

Minor 7th chords are essential in jazz, R&B, neo-soul, soul, funk, lo-fi hip-hop, and bossa nova. They provide the smooth, dark quality that defines these genres. The ii–V–I progression (which starts with a minor 7th chord) is the most common chord movement in jazz.

What songs use Minor 7th chords?

Minor 7th chords appear throughout Autumn Leaves (the most famous jazz standard), So What (Miles Davis, which uses only two minor 7th chords), and Black Orpheus (Luiz Bonfa). In R&B, artists like D'Angelo and Erykah Badu build entire songs on minor 7th foundations.

What is the ii–V–I progression?

The ii–V–I is the most important progression in jazz: a minor 7th chord (ii) moves to a dominant 7th (V) then resolves to a major 7th (I). In Bb Major: Cm7–F7–Bbmaj7. Learning this in all 12 keys is essential for jazz piano.

C Minor 7th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	C3 E♭3 G3 B♭3	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	E♭3 G3 B♭3 C4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	G3 B♭3 C4 E♭4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, third inversion	B♭3 C4 E♭4 G4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Drop 2	G2 C3 E♭3 B♭3	15	206 mm	none	identical
Drop 3	E♭2 C3 G3 B♭3	19	261 mm	none	identical
Drop 2 and 4	C2 G2 E♭3 B♭3	22	303 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Shell, root ♭7 ♭3	C2 B♭2 E♭3	15	206 mm	omits G	subset
Guide tones, ♭3 and ♭7	E♭3 B♭3	7	96 mm	omits C and G	subset
Rootless close	E♭3 G3 B♭3	7	96 mm	omits C	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	C	C3, E♭3, G3, B♭3	7	10	138 mm
First inversion: Cm7/E♭	E♭	E♭3, G3, B♭3, C4	6/5	9	124 mm
Second inversion: Cm7/G	G	G3, B♭3, C4, E♭4	4/3	8	110 mm
Third inversion: Cm7/B♭	B♭	B♭3, C4, E♭4, G4	4/2	9	124 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Progression	Key	Role	Sequence	Voice leading
ii, v, i	C minor	im7	Dm7♭5 to Gm7 to Cm7	2 tones held from Gm7
iv, i	C minor	im7	Fm7 to Cm7	2 tones held from Fm7
i, ♭VI, ii, v	C minor	im7	Cm7 to A♭maj7 to Dm7♭5 to Gm7	Cm7 opens the phrase
vi, IV, I, V	E♭ major	vim7	Cm7 to A♭maj7 to E♭maj7 to B♭7	Cm7 opens the phrase
I, vi	E♭ major	vim7	E♭maj7 to Cm7	3 tones held from E♭maj7
v, i	F minor	vm7	Cm7 to Fm7	Cm7 opens the phrase
ii, v, i	F minor	vm7	Gm7♭5 to Cm7 to Fm7	2 tones held from Gm7♭5
iv, v, i	G minor	ivm7	Cm7 to Dm7 to Gm7	Cm7 opens the phrase
i, iv	G minor	ivm7	Gm7 to Cm7	2 tones held from Gm7

Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.

Which keys it belongs to

Key	Roman numeral	Function
C minor	im7	Tonic, home
E♭ major	vim7	Tonic substitute
F minor	vm7	Minor dominant
G minor	ivm7	Subdominant
A♭ major	iiim7	Tonic substitute
B♭ major	iim7	Predominant

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
Cm9	adds D	1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9	4
Cm	drops B♭	1 ♭3 5	3
C7	E♭ becomes E	1 3 5 ♭7	3
CmMaj7	B♭ becomes B	1 ♭3 5 7	3
Cm7♭5	G becomes G♭	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7	3
C7sus4	E♭ becomes F	1 4 5 ♭7	3
Cm6	B♭ becomes A	1 ♭3 5 6	3
C9	E♭ becomes E, D	1 3 5 ♭7 9	3
C	E♭, B♭ becomes E	1 3 5	2
Cdim	G, B♭ becomes G♭	1 ♭3 ♭5	2
Csus2	E♭, B♭ becomes D	1 2 5	2
Csus4	E♭, B♭ becomes F	1 4 5	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
C3	48	130.81 Hz
E♭3	51	155.56 Hz
G3	55	196.00 Hz
B♭3	58	233.08 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {0, 3, 7, 10}
Normal order: [7, 10, 0, 3]
Prime form: (0358)
Forte number: 4-26
Interval vector: <012120>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
C to E♭	Minor third	3	3
C to G	Perfect fifth	7	5
C to B♭	Minor seventh	10	2
E♭ to G	Major third	4	4
E♭ to B♭	Perfect fifth	7	5
G to B♭	Minor third	3	3

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor 7th applied to the root C, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

C Minor 7th

Fingerings

C Minor 7th: notes and degrees