C Minor
Chords in the key of
The scale’s notes are numbered from 1 to 7. Roman numerals are used to label the basic triad (1-3-5) chords built on each of those notes.
The notes of the C natural minor scale are:
C – D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭
| i | ii° | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cm | Ddim | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ |
| C minor | D diminished | E flat major | F minor | G minor | A flat major | B flat major |
| C - E♭ - G | D - F - A♭ | E♭ - G - B♭ | F - A♭ - C | G - B♭ - D | A♭ - C - E♭ | B♭ - D - F |
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That’s the diatonic set. If you stay strictly inside the key, these are your friends. The pattern of naming chords for every minor key is:
Minor, Diminished, Major, Minor, Minor, Major, Major. Numerals in UPPERCASE (III, VI, VII) denote major chords, and numerals in lowercase (i, ii°, iv, v) denote minor chords.
C Minor: Extended Chords
C HARMONIC Minor: RESOLVING + cinematic
C natural/diatonic minor often borrows the 7th note from C harmonic minor; it’s just one semitone higher but creates and resolves tension far better than its diatonic counterpart.
This raises C minor’s B♭ to B, which affects C minor’s III, v, & VII chords:
| III+ | V | vii° |
|---|---|---|
| E♭aug | G | Bdim |
| E flat augmented | G major | B diminished |
| E♭ - G - B | G - B - D | B - D - F |
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