Key guide
C minor: scale, key signature and chords
C minor has three flats (B♭, E♭, A♭). Its scale is C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭ — play the scale and every chord below.
- Key signature
- B♭ E♭ A♭ — three flats
- Scale notes
- C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭
- Relative major
- E♭ major
- Parallel major
- C major
- Dominant key
- G minor
- Subdominant key
- F minor
- On the piano
- 3 black keys and 4 white in the scale
The C minor scale
The C minor scale uses the notes C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, the natural minor pattern of whole and half steps (W–H–W–W–H–W–W) starting on C. Each letter name appears once, which is why the accidentals are written as B♭, E♭, A♭ rather than as their enharmonic equivalents.
| Degree | Note | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | tonic |
| 2 | D | supertonic |
| 3 | E♭ | mediant |
| 4 | F | subdominant |
| 5 | G | dominant |
| 6 | A♭ | submediant |
| 7 | B♭ | subtonic |
Harmonic and melodic minor in C minor
The natural minor scale above is the form the key signature gives you. Composers alter it to get a stronger pull to the tonic: the harmonic minor raises the seventh degree (C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B), and the melodic minor raises the sixth and seventh going up (C, D, E♭, F, G, A, B). A × means a double sharp.
Chords in C minor
Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives seven diatonic triads and seven seventh chords. The Roman numeral gives each chord’s position; the role column says what it usually does in a phrase.
| Chord | Triad | Seventh | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | C E♭ G | C E♭ G B♭ | tonic |
| ii° | D F A♭ | D F A♭ C | predominant |
| III | E♭ G B♭ | E♭ G B♭ D | tonic substitute |
| iv | F A♭ C | F A♭ C E♭ | predominant |
| v | G B♭ D | G B♭ D F | dominant |
| VI | A♭ C E♭ | A♭ C E♭ G | tonic substitute |
| VII | B♭ D F | B♭ D F A♭ | dominant |
In a minor key the v chord from the natural scale is usually replaced in cadences by a major V built with the raised seventh: G B D.
Chord progressions in C minor
Four progressions worked out in C minor, each one playable:
- i – VI – III – VII Cm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭A rising-and-falling minor loop that stays inside the natural minor scale.
- i – iv – V – i Cm – Fm – G – CmThe minor cadence: the V is major, borrowing the raised seventh from the harmonic minor scale.
- ii° – V – i D° – G – CmThe minor ii–V–i: a diminished predominant resolving to the tonic.
- i – VII – VI – V Cm – B♭ – A♭ – GThe descending “Andalusian” line, ending on the major dominant.
Keys related to C minor
- Relative major: E♭ major — same key signature, different home note.
- Dominant: G minor — one step clockwise on the circle of fifths; the key most pieces in C minor modulate to.
- Subdominant: F minor — one step counter-clockwise, adding one flat (or removing one sharp).
- Parallel major: C major — same tonic, opposite mode.
Questions
What are the notes in C minor?
The C minor scale is C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭. That is the natural minor form; the harmonic minor raises the seventh degree, and the melodic minor raises the sixth and seventh going up.
How many sharps or flats are in C minor?
C minor has three flats: B♭, E♭, A♭.
What is the relative major of C minor?
The relative major of C minor is E♭ major. The two keys share a key signature and the same seven notes, but C is the home note of the minor key.
What chords are in C minor?
The seven diatonic triads in C minor are Cm, D°, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭. In practice the V chord is usually played as G, using the raised seventh from the harmonic minor scale.