Cm7 Chord on Guitar
Notes C E♭ G B♭. Start with the Am7-shape barre at fret 3 (x 3 5 3 4 3): index across strings 5 to 1, ring on string 4, middle on string 2.
Chord · Cm7 minor 7th
Am7-shape barre (fret 3) · x 3 5 3 4 3
barre, movable
Em7-shape barre (fret 8) · 8 10 8 8 8 8
barre, movable
Dm7-shape, 4 strings (fret 10) · x x 10 12 11 11
movable, no open strings
1 C♭3 E♭5 G♭7 B♭
- Barre: index finger flat across strings 5 to 1 at fret 3
- String 6 (low E): muted, do not play
- String 5 (A): index (1), fret 3
- String 4 (D): ring (3), fret 5
- String 3 (G): index (1), fret 3
- String 2 (B): middle (2), fret 4
- String 1 (high e): index (1), fret 3
- Barre: index finger flat across strings 6 to 1 at fret 8
- String 6 (low E): index (1), fret 8
- String 5 (A): ring (3), fret 10
- String 4 (D): index (1), fret 8
- String 3 (G): index (1), fret 8
- String 2 (B): index (1), fret 8
- String 1 (high e): index (1), fret 8
- Barre: middle finger flat across strings 2 to 1 at fret 11
- String 6 (low E): muted, do not play
- String 5 (A): muted, do not play
- String 4 (D): index (1), fret 10
- String 3 (G): ring (3), fret 12
- String 2 (B): middle (2), fret 11
- String 1 (high e): middle (2), fret 11
Notes and formula
| Degree | Note | Interval from C |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root |
| ♭3 | E♭ | minor 3rd |
| 5 | G | perfect 5th |
| ♭7 | B♭ | minor 7th |
Formula 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 (minor 7th).
Also written Cmin7, C minor 7th.
More on this chord type: Minor 7th chords · 7th chords explained
Capo shapes that sound as Cm7
Open shapes you may already know, moved up with a capo.
Am7 shape + capo 3
Need the capo fret for a whole song? Capo calculator: any song key, any shapes. New to the capo? How to use a capo.
Keys that contain Cm7
| Key | Cm7 is the |
|---|---|
| C minor | i7 |
| F minor | v7 |
| G minor | iv7 |
| E♭ major | vi7 |
| B♭ major | ii7 |
| A♭ major | iii7 |
Minor keys here use the natural minor scale.
Playing Cm7: what goes wrong
Cm7, F7, B♭
Cm7 is the ii7 chord of B♭ major, so Cm7, F7, B♭ is the ii–V–I cadence in B♭. In E♭ major Cm7 is the vi7.
Easier than barre Cm
The Am7 shape leaves string 3 under the index, so only two fingers press besides the barre. That makes Cm7 easier to hold than the Am-shape Cm at the same fret.
Related chords
Learn and practise Cm7
- Metronomepractise the change to Cm7 at 60 BPM
- How to read chord chartsstrings, frets, fingers, x and o
- Chord finder (chord namer)name any other shape you find
FAQ
What notes are in Cm7?
C, E♭, G, B♭: the 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7 of the Cm7 minor 7th chord.
Is there an open Cm7 chord?
Not a common one in standard tuning. Cm7 is C, E♭, G, B♭ and of the open strings only G belongs to it, so Cm7 is played as a barre or a movable shape.