Cm7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Cm7 chord is a minor seventh chord built on the root note C. Its notes are C, E♭, G and B♭.
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.
Cm7 on piano
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Cm7 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on C, then index, middle and little finger on E♭, G and B♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
Cm7 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Cm7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre shape: keep the index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.
Play the chord
Cm7 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | E♭(Eb) |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B♭(Bb) |
How to use the Cm7 chord
The Cm7 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.
Common progressions
The Cm7 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.
Related chords to Cm7
Once Cm7 feels comfortable, the chords below open up new progressions. Each one shares notes, keys or a harmonic function with it, which is what makes it the natural place to go next.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Cm7 chord?
Is the Cm7 chord major or minor?
How do you play Cm7 on piano?
How do you play Cm7 on guitar?
What chords work well with Cm7?
Keep exploring
Deepen your understanding of the Cm7 chord with our other music theory tools.