Cm7 Chord

The Cm7 chord is a minor seventh chord built on the root note C. Its notes are C, D♯, G and A♯.

Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They are a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.

Cm7 on piano

Piano diagram of the Cm7 chordCGCGD♯A♯D♯A♯Cm7 — C · D♯ · G · A♯

To play Cm7 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on C, middle finger on D♯, and little finger on G. Press all keys at the same time and listen for a clear, balanced sound. Practice switching to and from this chord slowly, then with a metronome at a comfortable tempo.

Cm7 on guitar

Guitar chord diagram of the Cm7 chord8frCm7

On guitar, Cm7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. If the chord contains barred notes, keep your index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the other fingers so they do not mute the open strings. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram for the cleanest tone.

Play the chord

Cm7
C · D♯ · G · A♯

Cm7 chord notes

Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7Notes: C · D♯ · G · A♯
DegreeIntervalSemitonesNote
1Root0C
♭3Minor third3D♯(D#)
5Perfect fifth7G
♭7Minor seventh10A♯(A#)

How to use the Cm7 chord

The Cm7 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Starting from the root C, stack the intervals to get the complete chord: C, D♯, G and A♯. Learning the formula is the fastest way to transpose the chord to any other key.

Minor seventh chords are foundational in jazz, funk, neo-soul and R&B. They are 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.

Emotional progression
vi → IV → I → V
D♯A♯D°G♯
Natural minor progression
i → VI → III → VII
CmG♯D♯A♯
Minor blues
i → iv → v → i
CmFmGmCm

Related chords to Cm7

Once you are comfortable with Cm7, explore neighbouring chords to unlock new progressions. The chords below share notes, keys or functions with Cm7 and are a natural next step in your practice.

C♯m7
C♯ · E · G♯ · B
Dm7
D · F · A · C
E♭m7
E♭ · G♭ · B♭ · D♭
Em7
E · G · B · D
C Major
C · E · G
C Minor
C · D♯ · G
C7
C · E · G · A♯
Cmaj7
C · E · G · B
Gm7
G · A♯ · D · F
Fm7
F · A♭ · C · E♭

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Cm7 chord?
The Cm7 chord contains C, D♯, G and A♯ (C, D#, G and A# in plain text).
Is the Cm7 chord major or minor?
Cm7 is a minor seventh chord. Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They are a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.
How do you play Cm7 on piano?
Place your fingers on C, D♯, G and A♯ and play the notes together. On piano, the root is usually played with the little finger of the left hand and the upper notes with the right hand.
How do you play Cm7 on guitar?
Cm7 is typically played using the fingering shown in the interactive diagram above. You can also try an open position if one of the chord tones lines up with an open string.
What chords work well with Cm7?
Cm7 pairs naturally with the chords listed in the related chords section. Chords a perfect fifth up or down, relative major or minor chords, and chords sharing two notes are all strong choices.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the Cm7 chord with our other music theory tools.

Browse all chordsTry the PianoOpen Circle of Fifths