C minor 7 chordCm7

Built from

• Croot
• E♭minor 3rd
• G5th
• B♭flat 7th

The flat 7th softens the minor 3rd, so the sadness turns into something relaxed.

Hear it in a progression

• Epic minor

  Film scores and stadium anthems. In C minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. Cm7i
  2. A♭VI
  3. E♭III
  4. B♭VII

• Minor cadence

  Dark, then a strong pull home. In C minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. Cm7i
  2. Fmiv
  3. G7V7
  4. Cm7i

• Andalusian cadence

  Flamenco and surf rock, stepping down. In C minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. Cm7i
  2. B♭VII
  3. A♭VI
  4. GV

Where it goes next

Thinking in C minor, where it is the i7 chord.

• A♭maj7

  VImaj7. Opens up into something bittersweet.

• Fm7

  iv7. Goes darker still.

• B♭7

  VII7. Steps down: a rock and folk staple.

• E♭maj7

  IIImaj7. Brightens into the relative major.

Sounds close

• E♭maj7

  Relative major 7: same notes but one. Both have E♭, G and B♭.

• E♭

  Contains its relative major whole. Both have E♭, G and B♭.

• E♭7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have E♭, G and B♭.

• A♭maj7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have C, E♭ and G.

Scales that fit

Notes you can play over this chord, simplest first.

• C minor
• C minor pentatonic
• C blues
• C dorian

Keys it lives in

• C minoras i7
• F minoras v7
• G minoras iv7
• E♭ majoras vi7
• B♭ majoras ii7
• A♭ majoras iii7