This guitar scale reference contains the notes, formula, structure, positions, chords, and modes for the C Minor scale. For an in-depth lesson on the major scale, see Minor Scale Positions & Theory.
Notes of C Minor Scale
The C Minor scale contains three flats, E♭, A♭, and B♭. The rest of the notes are naturals.
C – D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭
Scale Formula
| Intervals | Root | Major 2nd | Minor 3rd | Perfect 4th | Perfect 5th | Minor 6th | Minor 7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | C | D | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B♭ |
Scale Structure
C Minor is a minor scale and follows the minor scale structure of whole and half step intervals:
W H W W H W W
Scale Positions
The diagrams below outline the 5 CAGED positions for the C Minor scale.
Position 1
Position 2
Position 3
Position 4
Position 5
Chords in the Key of C Minor
When harmonizing the C Minor scale, you get the following chords:
| Degree | i | ii° | III | iv | iv | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chord | Cm | Ddim | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ |
| Chord Notes | C – E♭ – G | D – F – A♭ | E♭ – G – B♭ | F – A♭ – C | G – B♭ – D | A♭ – C – E♭ | B♭ – D – F |
Relative and Parallel Scales
Relative Major of C Minor: E♭ Major | E♭ – Fm – Gm – A♭ – B♭ – Cm – Dm♭5
Parallel Major of C Minor: C Major | C – Dm – Em – F – G – Am – Bm♭5
Modes
The following are the modes of C Minor:
- C Aeolian (Minor)
- D Locrian (Minor)
- E♭Ionian (Major)
- F Dorian (Minor)
- G Phrygian (Minor)
- A♭ Lydian (Major)
- B♭ Mixolydian (Major)