C minor has three flats and a dramatic, heavy character: it is the key of Beethoven's fifth and of much modern hip-hop, trap and EDM. Its chords are Cm, D°, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭ and B♭, and the major G, with its B natural, is how it comes home. The relative major is E♭ major, the parallel C major. Producers like it because its chords sit well on a keyboard and its bass notes are low without being muddy.
The chords of C minor
Seven chords, one on each note of the scale. Songs in C minor often borrow G, the major V, for a stronger pull home.
Cm is sounding: C, E♭ and G.
C minor
E♭ major
Make your own in C minor
The generator, set to C minor. Lock the chords you like, generate the rest, then download it as MIDI.
Chord names with spaces, up to 16.
More in and around C minor
- C minor: scale, chords and key signature
- E♭ major, its relative major: the scale and chords
- C major chord progressions, its parallel major
- Sad chord progressions
- Minor chord progressions
- The Andalusian cadence
- The minor ii–V–i
- Move these chords to another key: the chord transposer
- Which key is your song in? The key finder
Piano sounds by the Salamander Grand Piano (Alexander Holm), CC BY 3.0.
