C Minor Scale on Guitar
The C Minor Scale is a 7-note scale (sad, emotional) built from the formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Its notes are C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭. Below you'll find the scale on the whole fretboard, the chords that belong to it and related scales — open it in the interactive fretboard for 3NPS, CAGED and pentatonic box patterns with playback.
Notes and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root |
| 2 | D | Major 2nd |
| ♭3 | E♭ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | F | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | G | Perfect 5th |
| ♭6 | A♭ | Minor 6th |
| ♭7 | B♭ | Minor 7th |
Steps: W – H – W – W – H – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step)
C Minor Scale on the fretboard (15 frets)
Standard tuning E A D G B E. Pink = root, purple = characteristic notes. 3NPS, CAGED and box patterns plus other tunings are in the interactive fretboard.
Chords in the scale
Modes with the same notes
Other scales from C
- Ionian (Major)
- Dorian
- Phrygian
- Lydian
- Mixolydian
- Aeolian (Minor)
- Locrian
- Major pentatonic
- Minor pentatonic
- Blues
- Major blues
- Harmonic minor
- Locrian ♮6
- Ionian ♯5
- Dorian ♯4
- Phrygian dominant
- Lydian ♯2
- Superlocrian 𝄫7
- Melodic minor
- Dorian ♭2
- Lydian augmented
- Lydian dominant
- Mixolydian ♭6
- Locrian ♮2
- Altered (Superlocrian)
- Whole tone
- Diminished (half-whole)
- Diminished (whole-half)
Aeolian (Minor) in other keys
FAQ
- What notes are in the C Minor Scale?
- The C Minor Scale has 7 notes: C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.
- What intervals make up the C Minor Scale?
- Step pattern: W – H – W – W – H – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). Intervals from the root: 2 (Major 2nd), ♭3 (Minor 3rd), 4 (Perfect 4th), 5 (Perfect 5th), ♭6 (Minor 6th), ♭7 (Minor 7th).
- What chords are in the C Minor Scale?
- Triads: Cm, D°, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭. Seventh chords: Cm7, Dm7♭5, E♭maj7, Fm7, Gm7, A♭maj7, B♭7.
- What is the relative major of C minor?
- E♭ major — it shares all notes with C minor.