C♭m: C♭ Minor Piano Chord

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

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

Construction

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

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

Fingering

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

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

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

C♭ Minor Inversions

Root position
C♭ – E♭♭ – G♭
1st inversion (C♭m/E♭♭)
E♭♭ – G♭ – C♭
2nd inversion (C♭m/G♭)
G♭ – C♭ – E♭♭

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the C♭ Minor is the tonic (i) chord of C♭ Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, D Major: 2 sharps (F♯, C♯).

F♯C♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of C♭ Minor

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

i — C♭ Minor (minor)

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

Scales That Include the C♭ Minor

G Major (iii)
D Major (vi)
A Major (ii)
E Minor (v)
B Minor (i)
F# Minor (iv)
A Dorian (ii)
B Phrygian (i)

C♭ Minor : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the C♭ Minor chord on piano?

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

What notes make up the Cb Minor chord?

Cb Minor contains three notes: Cb (root), Ebb (minor third), and Gb (perfect fifth). Ebb is enharmonically D on the piano. Cb Minor is enharmonically equivalent to B Minor.

Is Cb Minor used in practice?

Cb Minor is essentially never used in written music. Its key signature requires double flats (Ebb and others), making it unreadable. Composers always use B Minor instead: enharmonically identical with 2 sharps in its key signature.

What is the relationship between Cb Minor and B Minor?

They are enharmonically equivalent: the same piano keys, different spellings. B Minor (B–D–F#) is the standard and practically universal notation. Cb Minor is only encountered in extreme theoretical contexts.

What songs are in B Minor / Cb Minor?

B Minor is a widely used key: Moonlight Sonata has B Minor sections, Hotel California includes B Minor passages, and Fast Car (Tracy Chapman) is in B Minor. All such music uses B Minor notation, never Cb Minor.

What chords pair well with Cb Minor / B Minor?

In B Minor: G Major (VI), D Major (III), A Major (VII), F# Major (V). Bm–G–D–A is one of the most common pop progressions. Bm–A–G–F# is the classic descending minor pattern.

Should I practise Cb Minor separately from B Minor?

No: B Minor is physically identical and universally preferred. Master B Minor (B–D–F#) completely and you have covered Cb Minor entirely. The Cb Minor chord page on piano.org uses a canonical redirect to B Minor for this reason.

C♭ Minor 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	C♭3 E♭♭4 G♭4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	E♭♭4 G♭4 C♭4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	G♭4 C♭4 E♭♭5	8	110 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	C♭2 G♭3 E♭♭4	15	206 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	Fit
Root and third only	C♭3 E♭♭4	3	41 mm	omits G♭	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♭	C♭3, E♭♭4, G♭4	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: C♭m/E♭♭	E♭♭	E♭♭4, G♭4, C♭4	6/3	9	124 mm
Second inversion: C♭m/G♭	G♭	G♭4, C♭4, E♭♭5	6/4	8	110 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
vi, IV, I, V	D major	vi	Bm to G to D to A	C♭m opens the phrase
I, vi	D major	vi	D to Bm	2 tones held from D
v, i	E minor	v	Bm to Em	C♭m opens the phrase
ii°, v, i	E minor	v	F♯dim to Bm to Em	1 tone held from F♯dim
iv, v, i	F♯ minor	iv	Bm to C♯m to F♯m	C♭m opens the phrase
i, iv	F♯ minor	iv	F♯m to Bm	1 tone held from F♯m
iii, vi, ii, V	G major	iii	Bm to Em to Am to D	C♭m opens the phrase
I, iii	G major	iii	G to Bm	2 tones held from G

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
D major	vi	Tonic substitute
E minor	v	Minor dominant
F♯ minor	iv	Subdominant
G major	iii	Tonic substitute
A major	ii	Predominant
B minor	i	Tonic, home

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
C♭m7	adds B♭♭	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	3
C♭mMaj7	adds B♭	1 ♭3 5 7	3
C♭m6	adds A♭	1 ♭3 5 6	3
C♭	E♭♭ becomes E♭	1 3 5	2
C♭dim	G♭ becomes G♭♭	1 ♭3 ♭5	2
C♭sus2	E♭♭ becomes D♭	1 2 5	2
C♭sus4	E♭♭ becomes F♭	1 4 5	2
C♭maj7	E♭♭ becomes E♭, B♭	1 3 5 7	2
C♭7	E♭♭ becomes E♭, B♭♭	1 3 5 ♭7	2
C♭m7♭5	G♭ becomes G♭♭, B♭♭	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7	2
C♭dim7	G♭ becomes G♭♭, B♭♭♭	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7	2
C♭7sus4	E♭♭ becomes F♭, B♭♭	1 4 5 ♭7	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
C♭3	59	246.94 Hz
E♭♭4	62	293.66 Hz
G♭4	66	369.99 Hz

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

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {11, 2, 6}
Normal order: [11, 2, 6]
Prime form: (037)
Forte number: 3-11
Interval vector: <001110>

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

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor 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

Fingerings

C♭ Minor: notes and degrees