Minor scale · 7 notes
C minor scale on guitar
The C minor scale has 7 notes: C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭ and B♭. The natural minor scale: the major scale’s darker twin, with a ♭3, ♭6 and ♭7.
Notes
- C
- D
- E♭
- F
- G
- A♭
- B♭
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
W – H – W – W – H – W – W
Sound
Dark, sad or serious, without being exotic
C minor on the whole fretboard
Every C minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, C, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
C at fret 8. 7th position: frets 7–11.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of C minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from C, the C minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 3 flats (E♭, A♭ and B♭). Compared with C major, it has E♭ (♭3) instead of E, A♭ (♭6) instead of A and B♭ (♭7) instead of B.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root | 0 |
| 2 | D | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | E♭ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | F | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | G | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | A♭ | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | B♭ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in C minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to C minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in C minor.
- iCmC · E♭ · GCm7
- ii°D°D · F · A♭Dm7♭5
- ♭IIIE♭E♭ · G · B♭E♭maj7
- ivFmF · A♭ · CFm7
- vGmG · B♭ · DGm7
- ♭VIA♭A♭ · C · E♭A♭maj7
- ♭VIIB♭B♭ · D · FB♭7
Progressions to try
- Cm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭ i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII · epic rock/pop
- Cm – Fm – Gm i–iv–v · minor blues-style
- Cm – B♭ – A♭ – B♭ i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII · rock riffing
- Cm – Fm – B♭ – E♭ i–iv–♭VII–♭III · circle movement
How to use C minor
Reach for it over songs in a minor key, over minor and minor 7th chords, and in rock, metal, pop ballads and folk. Its sound is dark, sad or serious, without being exotic.
Tip: Every minor scale shares its notes with a major scale three frets higher. If you know G major, you already know E minor: just treat E as home.
- C minor is the relative minor of E♭ major, so the two share all seven notes. See E♭ major.
- C minor contains exactly the notes of E♭ major, played from its Aeolian note, C. See E♭ major.
Where to find C on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every C between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with C |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 8 |
| B (2nd) | 1 |
| G (3rd) | 5 |
| D (4th) | 10 |
| A (5th) | 3 |
| Low E (6th) | 8 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as C minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
C minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the C minor scale?
The C minor scale has 7 notes: C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭ and B♭. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 3 flats (E♭, A♭ and B♭).
What chords are in C minor?
Harmonising the C minor scale in thirds gives Cm (i), D° (ii°), E♭ (♭III), Fm (iv), Gm (v), A♭ (♭VI) and B♭ (♭VII).
Where do you play the C minor scale on guitar?
The root, C, is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 7–11, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as C minor?
C minor is the relative minor of E♭ major, so the two share all seven notes. C minor contains exactly the notes of E♭ major, played from its Aeolian note, C.