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Chords in the key of C Natural Minor

The seven chords of C Natural Minor and the 7th chord on each, with the key signature and the keys closest to it.

Short answer

The key of C Natural Minor contains seven diatonic chords: Cm, D°, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭. They're built on each degree of the C Natural Minor scale.

Tonic
C
Key signature
3 flats
Scale
C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭
Relative key
E♭ Major
Dominant
Gm
Parallel key
C Major

Diatonic chords in C Natural Minor

Build a triad on each note of the C Natural Minor scale and you get these seven chords. Add one more scale note on top and you get the 7th chord beside it.

DegreeTriad7th chordHear
iCmCm7
ii°D°Dm7♭5
IIIE♭E♭maj7
ivFmFm7
vGmGm7
VIA♭A♭maj7
VIIB♭B♭7

Key signature of C Natural Minor

C Natural Minor has 3 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭. The signature at the start of each staff line makes those notes flat all the way through, unless an accidental says otherwise.

Practise reading key signatures

C Natural Minor on the piano

Show:
C Natural Minor on the pianoCDFGCDFGE♭A♭B♭E♭A♭B♭C Natural Minor - C · D · E♭ · F · G · A♭ · B♭

Common progressions in C Natural Minor

The most popular chord progressions written in this key. Click any progression to hear it.

i–♭VII–♭VI–V in C minor
CmB♭A♭G
ii°–V–i in C minor
Dm7♭5G7Cm7
i–VI–III–VII in C minor
CmA♭E♭B♭
i–♭VI–♭VII–i in C minor
CmA♭B♭Cm
i–iv–v–i in C minor
CmFmGmCm
i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII in C minor
CmB♭A♭B♭
i–VI–iv–V in C minor
CmA♭FmGm
i–III–iv–VI in C minor
CmE♭FmA♭

Related keys

The keys a song in C Natural Minor most often borrows chords from or moves to.

CGDAEBC♭F♯G♭D♭C♯A♭E♭B♭FAmEmBmF♯mC♯mG♯mA♭mD♯mE♭mB♭mA♯mFmCmGmDmMajorMinor
C Natural Minor is lit, with its relative key and the keys a fifth either side.

Questions people ask

What chords are in the key of C Natural Minor?
The key of C Natural Minor contains seven diatonic chords: Cm, D°, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭. They're built on each degree of the C Natural Minor scale.
How many sharps or flats are in C Natural Minor?
C Natural Minor has 3 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭. The signature at the start of each staff line makes those notes flat all the way through, unless an accidental says otherwise.
What are the 7th chords in C Natural Minor?
Adding a seventh to each chord of C Natural Minor gives Cm7, Dm7♭5, E♭maj7, Fm7, Gm7, A♭maj7, B♭7.
What is the relative key of C Natural Minor?
It's E♭ Major. It uses exactly the same notes and key signature as C Natural Minor, but its music centres on E♭.
What are the most common progressions in C Natural Minor?
Pop and rock songs in C Natural Minor usually rely on I-V-vi-IV, I-IV-V and ii-V-I. Each appears in our progression library with audio.
Why do these chords sound good together?
Every chord in C Natural Minor is built using only notes from the C Natural Minor scale, so they share the same tonal center and naturally resolve to the I chord.
How do I transpose a song to C Natural Minor?
Use our free Chord Transposer, paste the original chords and shift them to C Natural Minor. The tool keeps the relationships between chords intact.

Related chords, scales and keys