Chords in the Key of C Minor — Ukulele Chord Chart

Ukulele Chords in the Key of C Minor

The key of C minor has 3 flats, and its seven chords are Cm, Ddim, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭. Start with Cm, Fm, Gm: they are the three a song in C minor cannot do without. Every diagram below plays when you press it.

The seven chords of C minor

One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. Capital numerals are major chords, small ones minor, and ° is diminished.

iCm0333the home chord
ii°Ddim7545rare — a passing chord
IIIE♭0331the relative major
ivFm1013the step away from home
vGm0231the natural, gentler dominant
VIA♭1343bright against the minor home
VIIB♭3211a whole step under home

The three to learn first

Cm is home — the chord the song starts from and ends on. Fm is the step away, and Gm is the one that pulls back home. On ukulele they are 0333, 1013 and 0231: Cm with three fingers, Fm with three fingers and Gm with three fingers.

Progressions in C minor

The orders these chords are most often played in. Press play to hear each one strummed, a bar to a chord.

i – iv – V7Cm – Fm – G7

The minor three-chord song, with the major dominant.

i – VI – III – VIICm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭

The four-chord pop progression, started from its minor chord.

i – VII – VI – V7Cm – B♭ – A♭ – G7

The descending “Andalusian” line.

The sevenths

Four-note versions of the same chords. G7 is the one worth learning first: it is Gm with one note added, and it pulls toward Cm harder than the plain chord does.

V7G70212the major dominant, borrowed from the harmonic minor
i7Cm73333home, softened
iv7Fm71313the step away, softened

The scale behind the chords

C minor is the notes C – D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭. Every chord above uses only those seven notes (except G7, which raises the seventh), which is why they sound as if they belong together — and why a melody in C minor fits over any of them. Its relative major is E♭ major, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.

The nearest keys are a fifth either side: G minor and F minor. Each shares six of this key’s seven notes, which is why songs change key to them so often.

Frequently asked questions

What chords are in the key of C minor?

Cm (i), Ddim (ii°), E♭ (III), Fm (iv), Gm (v), A♭ (VI), B♭ (VII). They are the seven chords you get by stacking thirds on each note of the C minor scale — C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭ — using only notes of that scale. Songs in C minor also use G7, the major dominant, which borrows one note from outside it.

What are the three main chords in C minor?

Cm, Fm and Gm — the chords on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. Cm is home, Fm moves away from it and Gm pulls back. A great many songs use only these three.

What is the relative major of C minor?

E♭ major. The two keys share all seven notes and all seven chords, in a different order: what is III in C minor is the home chord of E♭ major. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.

Is C minor an easy key on ukulele?

2 of its six everyday chords — Ddim and A♭ — need a barre or four fingers on ukulele.

Strum them yourself

The playable ukulele puts the chords of a key in a row: tap one to hold it, and drag across the strings.

Play the Virtual Ukulele