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Chord · C Minor 7th

Cm7 Chord

Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bbsmooth, mellow. The ii in ii-V-I.

Hear it

Cm7 on every instrument

The same 4 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.

×3fr13121EADGBE
Guitar2 voicings
CDEFGAB
Piano5 voicings
3fr1111GCEA
Ukulele3 voicings
××31EADG
Bass3 voicings
2134GDAE
Mandolin2 voicings
4fr4213GDGBD
Banjo1 voicing

What Cm7 is made of

Cm7 (C minor seventh) is built from the notes C, Eb, G, Bb, with the interval pattern 1, b3, 5, b7.

Stack 1, b3, 5 and b7 on a root of C and you get C, Eb, G and Bb. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a minor seventh chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Dm7 sounds like a transposed Cm7.

Minor 7th: Smooth, mellow. The ii in ii-V-I.

Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with E rather than its enharmonic equivalent.

Keys that contain Cm7

All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 6 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.

Other chords on C

Same root, different colour.

The same minor seventh shape, moved

The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.

Questions people ask about Cm7

What notes are in the Cm7 chord?
Cm7 is made of C, Eb, G and Bb — the 1, b3, 5 and b7 degrees of a minor seventh chord built on C.
What keys use the Cm7 chord?
Every note of Cm7 belongs to 6 keys: Bb Major (ii), Eb Major (vi), Ab Major (iii), G Minor (iv), C Minor (i), F Minor (v). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
How do you play Cm7 on guitar and piano?
This page shows Cm7 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 16 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.

Learn the theory behind it

Why Cm7 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.

Functional Harmony: Three Roles, One EngineWhat a seventh chord is for — tension, resolution, and the seat it takes in the key.6 min readThe 12-Bar Blues — Three Chords, A Century of HitsSeventh chords are the whole sound of the blues. Twelve bars is where to hear it.7 min readMajor and Minor Scales — Built from Intervals, Felt in SongsThe flat third under all of this, and the scale it comes from.5 min read