C minor is C, E-flat and G. The lowered third, E-flat, distinguishes Cm from the C–E–G major triad.
C minor is C, E-flat and G. The lowered third, E-flat, distinguishes Cm from the C–E–G major triad. The displayed root-position example is C4–E♭4–G4. Numbers after note letters identify octaves, not fingers. Use the diagram, note list and bass label together; Play chord sounds the selected notes together, while the note-by-note control sounds them from low to high.
C and G remain on white keys, while E-flat uses the black key between D and E. E-flat is the chord’s third: the letter E matters to the spelling. D-sharp can use the same physical key in equal temperament, but it is not the spelling used for the third of a C minor triad. C to E-flat spans three semitones; C to G spans seven. In the formula 1–♭3–5, the flat means the third is lowered relative to a major triad on the same root. It does not mean the root C becomes C-flat.
Read each bass note before selecting a position. The root-position example starts with C; first inversion starts with E♭; second inversion starts with G. The chord tones stay the same. These are independently chosen reference registers, not an ascending exercise. Switching a position must update the selected note order, diagram, sound and current-print snapshot together. Hand numbers, when available, apply only to the root example.
| Position | Symbol | Notes, low to high | Bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position, current selection | Cm | C4–E♭4–G4 | C4 |
| First inversion | Cm/E♭ | E♭4–G4–C5 | E♭4 |
| Second inversion | Cm/G | G4–C5–E♭5 | G4 |
These are separate one-hand starting examples for the root-position voicing. Change to an inversion and the finger numbers are intentionally withheld.
Separate right-hand example for the displayed root-position voicing C4–E♭4–G4. The source supplies these chord-tone and hand-number pairings, not this octave placement. This is a starting example, not a universal rule; no fingering is assigned to the inversions.
Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom / University of Puget Sound
Supports: Triad construction, major/minor intervals.
Scope: General rule; exact PianoGrid registers, diagrams, exercises and explanations are original applications.
Open Music Theory
Supports: Chord quality, chord members, inversion and lead-sheet conventions.
Scope: Not a source for our hand-specific fingerings or recordings.
Open Music Theory
Supports: Written note letters and octave numbering.
Scope: Cb4 = MIDI 59 is a derived application of the notation rule, not a quotation of a PianoGrid example.
Skoove
Supports: Root-position C–E♭–G; right hand 1–3–5 and left hand 5–3–1.
Scope: The root-position hand numbers are shown by the source. It does not specify PianoGrid’s C4–E♭4–G4 register. We do not adopt song lists, mood labels or inversion fingerings.
Common names: Cm, C minor, Cmin, C-.
Intervals from the root: perfect unison, minor third, perfect fifth.
Compare C4–E4–G4 with C4–E♭4–G4. C4 and G4 are shared, while the middle note moves down one semitone. This isolates the difference between C major and C minor.
Listen without treating a mood word as the definition. Chord quality is determined by the interval structure; a piece’s overall effect also depends on rhythm, register and context.
C minor is C–E♭–G. A-flat major is A♭–C–E♭. They share C and E-flat even though their roots and qualities differ.
For a compact written comparison, use C4–E♭4–G4, followed by C4–E♭4–A♭4. The latter is A♭/C because C remains the lowest note. This demonstrates shared tones, not a universal hand-shape recommendation.
Name the three chord tones before looking back at the answer. Then name the bass of the first inversion. These are written self-checks, not additional scored modes.
C, E-flat and G. The symbol Cm identifies C as the root and minor as the quality.
It has the same three chord tones, with E-flat in the bass. It is the first inversion of C minor.
They share a key in equal temperament, but C minor is spelled C–E-flat–G so its members are written as root, third and fifth.
No. This page is about a three-note triad, not the full scale or every chord available in a minor key.
No. The sourced examples apply only to the displayed root-position voicing, separately for each hand.
Select the three pitch classes that make C minor, then check your answer.
This keyboard checks an unordered pitch-class set. Order, octave, fingering and live piano performance are not assessed.
One octave, C through B. Select a key again to remove it.
Chord tones: C–E♭–G · Formula: 1, ♭3, 5
Dots mark the notes to play. C4 is middle C. Numbers identify octaves, not fingers.