C minor scale
The C minor scale is C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C. It has 3 flats (B♭, E♭ and A♭), its relative major is E♭ major, and the standard piano fingering is 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 in the right hand and 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 in the left hand.
C minor scale notes
The C minor scale has seven notes before the tonic repeats: C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C. Three of the seven are black keys on the piano (E♭, A♭ and B♭); the other four are white keys.
The step pattern is W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between D and E♭ and G and A♭.
| Degree | Name | Note | Solfège (movable do) | Piano key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | C | la | White |
| 2 | Supertonic | D | ti | White |
| 3 | Mediant | E♭ | do | Black |
| 4 | Subdominant | F | re | White |
| 5 | Dominant | G | mi | White |
| 6 | Submediant | A♭ | fa | Black |
| 7 | Subtonic | B♭ | sol | Black |
Natural, harmonic and melodic C minor
C minor has three common forms. The natural minor follows the key signature. The harmonic minor raises the seventh note to B, which makes the chord on the fifth degree major (G) and gives a strong pull back to C. The melodic minor raises both the sixth and seventh notes on the way up (A and B) and traditionally plays the natural form on the way down.
| Form | Notes | Changed from natural |
|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C | Nothing: follows the key signature |
| Harmonic minor | C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B, C | 7th raised to B |
| Melodic minor (ascending) | C, D, E♭, F, G, A, B, C | 6th and 7th raised to A and B |
C minor key signature
The C minor key signature has 3 flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭, written in that order at the start of every line. Flats are always added in the order B, E, A, D, G, C, F. E♭ major shares this signature.
On the treble staff, the flats sit B♭ on the third line from the bottom, E♭ in the fourth space from the bottom and A♭ in the second space from the bottom.
Shortcut: the second to last flat, E♭, names the major key (E♭ major); the minor key with the same signature starts three half steps lower, on C.
C minor scale fingering
| Hand | Notes (ascending) | Fingers |
|---|---|---|
| Right hand | C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C | 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Left hand | C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C | 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 |
Right hand going up: E♭ (finger 3) to F (finger 1), the thumb passes under. Left hand going up: G (finger 1) to A♭ (finger 3), the finger passes over the thumb. Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) in both hands.
The thumb stays on white keys in both hands; the black keys go to the longer fingers. For two octaves and the descending pattern, open the free piano scale fingering tool linked below.
Chords in C minor
Building a triad on each note of the scale gives the seven chords of C minor. The primary chords are Cm (i), Fm (iv) and G (V). The natural minor's own fifth chord is Gm (v), but music in C minor usually raises the seventh and uses G (V) instead.
| Degree | Triad | Notes | Seventh chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Cm | C E♭ G | Cm7 | C E♭ G B♭ |
| ii° | D° | D F A♭ | Dm7♭5 | D F A♭ C |
| III | E♭ | E♭ G B♭ | E♭maj7 | E♭ G B♭ D |
| iv | Fm | F A♭ C | Fm7 | F A♭ C E♭ |
| v | Gm | G B♭ D | Gm7 | G B♭ D F |
| VI | A♭ | A♭ C E♭ | A♭maj7 | A♭ C E♭ G |
| VII | B♭ | B♭ D F | B♭7 | B♭ D F A♭ |
A common minor progression, i iv V i, is Cm, Fm, G, Cm in C minor, using the major V from the harmonic form. The dominant seventh is G7 (G B D F).
Reading C minor on the staff
C minor has three flats. Beethoven wrote his Fifth Symphony and the Pathétique Sonata in C minor, and its harmonic form raises B flat to B natural.
On the treble staff, C4 to C5 needs 1 ledger line below the staff. On the bass staff, C3 to C4 needs 1 ledger line above the staff.
The reading trap in C minor is the key signature: the flats are written once at the start of the line, not next to the notes. Before you play, say the altered notes out loud (B♭, E♭ and A♭), then check every B, E and A on the page.
How to practise the C minor scale
- Say the notes before you play them: C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C.
- Play hands separately, one octave, at a slow steady pulse (60 beats per minute, one note per beat), using 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 in the right hand and 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 in the left.
- Stop on each thumb crossing and check the next finger is already over its key before you move.
- Add the descending scale with the same fingers in reverse, then go to two octaves.
- Put the hands together only when each hand can play it three times in a row without a stop, then raise the tempo by about 8 beats per minute at a time.
- Finish with the primary chords: Cm (C E♭ G), Fm (F A♭ C) and G (G B D).
Clef, our iPhone and iPad app, drills minor scales (natural and harmonic, one octave), triads and arpeggios with its on-screen controls or a connected MIDI keyboard, then brings each one back on a spaced schedule so it stays learned.
Keys related to C minor
- E flat major scale: relative major, same key signature
- C major scale: parallel major, same tonic
- G minor scale: a fifth above, 2 flats
- F minor scale: a fifth below, 4 flats
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the C minor scale?
The C minor scale is C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C, then C again an octave higher.
How many flats are in C minor?
C minor has 3 flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭.
What is the relative major of C minor?
E♭ major. It uses the same key signature and the same notes, starting on E♭.
What chords are in C minor?
Cm (i), D° (ii°), E♭ (III), Fm (iv), Gm (v), A♭ (VI), B♭ (VII). With the raised seventh of the harmonic minor, the V chord becomes G.
What is the fingering for the C minor scale on piano?
Right hand 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 going up from C; left hand 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 going up. Reverse the numbers to come down.