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Cm7 chord

Cm7 (C minor seventh) is C, E♭, G and B♭. It sounds mellow and smooth, the everyday chord of R&B, soul and lo-fi.

Cm7

C minor seventh · C E♭ G B♭ · 1 ♭3 5 ♭7

CGE♭B♭

Or pick another chord to see and hear it

Root
Chord

Tap keys on the piano to find which chord they make. The editor opens without an account.

Notes in the Cm7 chord

From C, count 3 half steps up to E♭, 4 more to G and 3 more to B♭. Its formula is 1 ♭3 5 ♭7: each number is the note’s place in the C major scale, with ♭ a half step lower and ♯ a half step higher. On the piano it is two white keys and two black keys (E♭ and B♭).

The notes of Cm7 and their intervals from C
NoteFormulaIntervalHalf steps up
C1Root0
E♭♭3Minor third3
G5Perfect fifth7
B♭♭7Minor seventh10

Cm7 chord inversions

An inversion is the same chord with another of its notes at the bottom. It keeps the chord’s sound but moves your hand less between chords, which is why pianists use them all the time. The notes are listed lowest first.

Root position

C E♭ G B♭

Written Cm7, with the root at the bottom.

1st inversion

E♭ G B♭ C

Written Cm7/E♭: E♭ at the bottom.

2nd inversion

G B♭ C E♭

Written Cm7/G: G at the bottom.

3rd inversion

B♭ C E♭ G

Written Cm7/B♭: B♭ at the bottom.

Keys with the Cm7 chord

Cm7 is built from the notes of these keys, so it fits songs in them. The Roman numeral says which note of the key it starts on. Each key’s page has its scale and all its chords.

Major keys
Minor keys

Chords that often come after Cm7

F7F A C E♭Cm7 to F7 is ii7 to V7, the first half of jazz’s ii–V–I.A♭maj7A♭ C E♭ GCm7 to A♭maj7 is i7 to VImaj7, the lift R&B and lo-fi loops are built on.Dm7D F A CCm7 to Dm7 is ii7 to iii7, one step up in the same key.

More piano chords

Other chords on C

CCmC7Cmaj7Csus2Csus4Cadd9C9C6CdimCm7♭5Cdim7Caug

Minor seventh chords on other notes

C♯m7Dm7E♭m7Em7Fm7F♯m7Gm7G♯m7Am7B♭m7Bm7

Or see every chord at once on the piano chords chart.

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Cm7 chord?

Cm7 is C, E♭, G and B♭. On the piano that is two white keys and two black keys (E♭ and B♭).

How do you play Cm7 on the piano?

With your right hand, play C, E♭, G and B♭ with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 (thumb to little finger). With your left hand it is 5, 3, 2 and 1. From C, count 3 half steps up to E♭, 4 more to G and 3 more to B♭.

What are the inversions of Cm7?

Root position: C E♭ G B♭. 1st inversion: E♭ G B♭ C (Cm7/E♭). 2nd inversion: G B♭ C E♭ (Cm7/G). 3rd inversion: B♭ C E♭ G (Cm7/B♭). The notes are the same; only the lowest one changes.

What key is Cm7 in?

In major keys, Cm7 is the vi7 chord in E♭ major, the ii7 chord in B♭ major and the iii7 chord in A♭ major. In minor keys, it is the i7 chord in C minor, the iv7 chord in G minor and the v7 chord in F minor.

Can I make a beat with Cm7?

Yes. “Make a beat in C minor” opens the free editor with a lo-fi beat in C minor on Cm A♭ E♭ B♭, the key where Cm7 is the i7 chord. Then change any part, add a melody and your voice, part by part. No account is needed to start.

Make a beat in C minor

Opens the free editor with a lo-fi beat in C minor on Cm A♭ E♭ B♭, the key where Cm7 is the i7 chord. Then change any part, add a melody and your voice, part by part. No account needed to start.

Make a beat in C minorAll piano chords

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