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C Minor 7th Chord
The C Minor 7th Chord is C, E-flat, G, and B-flat, alternating white and black keys all the way up. That alternation gives the hand a natural rhythm to settle into. The sound is mellow and a little more relaxed than plain C minor, and let's listen for how the B-flat on top softens the chord.
How to play the C Minor 7th Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the C Minor 7th Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.
The C Minor 7th Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the C minor 7th chord are stacked in thirds with C on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| C Minor 7th Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | C E♭ G B♭ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Cm7 |
The C Minor 7th Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (E♭) becomes the bottom note, and the root (C) jumps up to the top.
| C Minor 7th Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | E♭ G B♭ C |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 4 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Cm6/5 or Cm7/E♭ |
The C Minor 7th Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (G) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (E♭) goes to the top.
| C Minor 7th Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | G B♭ C E♭ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Cm4/3 or Cm7/G |
The C Minor 7th Chord in third inversion
In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (B♭) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (G) goes to the top.
| C Minor 7th Chord in 3rd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | B♭ C E♭ G |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 4 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Cm4/2 or Cm7/B♭ |
C Minor 7th Chord theory and function
The minor 7th is a minor chord with the minor seventh added, and it is one of the mellowest sounds in the harmonic vocabulary. It carries far less tension than the dominant 7th, so it can sit for a long time without needing to resolve.
The C minor 7th chord is the supertonic (ii7) in B♭ major, the mediant (iii7) in A♭ major, and the submediant (vi7) in E♭ major. In minor keys, it is the tonic (i7) in C minor, the subdominant (iv7) in G minor, and the dominant (v7) in F minor.
Its most common home is ii7 in the cadence ii7 – V7 – I. In B♭ major that is Cm7 – F7 – B♭, where the seventh, B♭, steps down to A, the leading tone. Try playing Cm and then Cm7 and listen to how the added note softens the chord.
Other chords built on C
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