The C Minor 7th chord is a four-note chord made up of C, E♭, G, and B♭. It is built from a root, minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh.
Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| C | Root | 1 |
| E♭ | Minor 3rd | ♭3 |
| G | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| B♭ | Minor 7th | ♭7 |
C Minor 7th Inversions
| Position | Notes |
|---|---|
| Root Position | C – E♭ – G – B♭ |
| 1st Inversion | E♭ – G – B♭ – C |
| 2nd Inversion | G – B♭ – C – E♭ |
| 3rd Inversion | 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♭).
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.
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of C Minor
These are the triads built on each degree of the C minor scale:
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: