Guitar scale · natural minor, Aeolian mode
C Minor Scale
Emotional, sad, and epic tones defined by the classic natural minor scale.
Tap any note to hear it.
C Minor Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|--------------------------------------8-10-11-| B|---------------------------------9-11---------| G|-------------------------8-10-12--------------| D|-----------------8-10-12----------------------| A|---------8-10-11------------------------------| E|-8-10-11--------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-11-13-| B|-------------------------------------11-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-13----------------| D|-------------------10-12-13-------------------------| A|----------10-11-13----------------------------------| E|-10-11-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-16-| B|----------------------------------13-15-16----------| G|-------------------------12-13-15-------------------| D|----------------12-13-15----------------------------| A|----------13-15-------------------------------------| E|-13-15-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-16-18-| B|-------------------------------------16-18----------| G|----------------------------15-17-19----------------| D|-------------------15-17-18-------------------------| A|----------15-17-18----------------------------------| E|-15-16-18-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------18-20-| B|----------------------------------18-20-21-------| G|-------------------------17-19-20----------------| D|----------------17-18-20-------------------------| A|-------17-18-20----------------------------------| E|-18-20-------------------------------------------|
How to play C Minor on guitar
Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 8–12. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
C Minor uses exactly the same notes as Eb major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the Eb Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C |
| 2 | D |
| ♭3 | Eb |
| 4 | F |
| 5 | G |
| ♭6 | Ab |
| ♭7 | Bb |
Chords in C Minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C Minor; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Cm | Cm7 | Tonic |
| ii° | Ddim | Dm7b5 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | Eb | Ebmaj7 | Mediant |
| iv | Fm | Fm7 | Subdominant |
| v | Gm | Gm7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | Ab | Abmaj7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | Bb | Bb7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C Minor anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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Questions
- What notes are in the C Minor Scale?
- The C Minor Scale has 7 notes: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb.
- What chords are in the C Minor Scale?
- The chords of C Minor are Cm (i), Ddim (ii°), Eb (♭III), Fm (iv), Gm (v), Ab (♭VI), Bb (♭VII).
- What is the formula of the minor scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play C Minor on the guitar?
- The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.