C♭m7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♭m7 chord is a minor seventh chord built on the root note C♭. Its notes are C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B𝄫. It's enharmonically the same chord as Bm7.
Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They're a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.
- Notes
- C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭ · B𝄫
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10
- Note
- C♭
- Quality
- Minor 7
- Symbol
- C♭m7
C♭m7 on piano
4 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♭m7 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C♭, index finger on E𝄫, middle finger on G♭ and little finger on B𝄫. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♭ is a black key and C♭, E𝄫 and B𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call B, D and A. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♭1
- E𝄫♭3
- G♭5
- B𝄫♭7
C♭m7 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♭m7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭ · B𝄫
Play C♭m7 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C♭m7 chord notes
Also known as Bm7
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♭(Cb) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | E𝄫(Ebb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♭(Gb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B𝄫(Bbb) |
How to use the C♭m7 chord
The C♭m7 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root C♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B𝄫. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor seventh chords are foundational in jazz, funk, neo-soul and R&B. They're typically the iim7, iiim7 or vim7 chord of a major key and the i7 of a minor key.
How C♭m7 differs from similar chords
C♭m7 puts a minor seventh on a minor triad, which separates it from C♭m(maj7), whose seventh is a half step higher and much sharper. Compared with C♭m7♭5, it keeps a perfect fifth, so it sounds relaxed rather than tense. Its upper three notes form the major triad a minor third above the root, which is why it blends so easily with major chords.
Where C♭m7 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key C♭m7 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♭m7 chord?
- The C♭m7 chord contains C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B𝄫 (Cb, Ebb, Gb and Bbb in plain text).
- Is the C♭m7 chord major or minor?
- C♭m7 is a minor seventh chord. Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They're a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.
- How do you play C♭m7 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B𝄫 and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard G♭ is a black key and C♭, E𝄫 and B𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call B, D and A.
- How do you play C♭m7 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the C♭m7 chord?
- C♭m7 is enharmonically equivalent to Bm7. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.