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C natural minor scale
C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭: the C natural minor scale has 3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭). Change the root or the scale type below to see any other scale.
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Notes of the C natural minor scale
The C natural minor scale has 7 notes: C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭ and B♭. Like every natural minor scale, it follows the pattern W–H–W–W–H–W–W (W = whole step, H = half step) from C up to the next C.
It has 3 flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭.
| Degree | Note | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | Tonic |
| 2 | D | Supertonic |
| ♭3 | E♭ | Mediant |
| 4 | F | Subdominant |
| 5 | G | Dominant |
| ♭6 | A♭ | Submediant |
| ♭7 | B♭ | Subtonic |
Chords in C minor
Building a triad on each note of the scale gives the chords of C minor: Cm, Ddim, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭ and B♭.
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | Cm (C E♭ G) | Cm7 (C E♭ G B♭) |
| ii° | Ddim (D F A♭) | Dm7♭5 (D F A♭ C) |
| III | E♭ (E♭ G B♭) | E♭maj7 (E♭ G B♭ D) |
| iv | Fm (F A♭ C) | Fm7 (F A♭ C E♭) |
| v | Gm (G B♭ D) | Gm7 (G B♭ D F) |
| VI | A♭ (A♭ C E♭) | A♭maj7 (A♭ C E♭ G) |
| VII | B♭ (B♭ D F) | B♭7 (B♭ D F A♭) |
Key signature and related keys
C minor uses the key signature with 3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭). Its relative major is E♭ major: the same notes and key signature, starting on E♭. Its parallel major is C major, which starts on the same note, C.
Harmonic and melodic minor
The C harmonic minor scale raises the seventh note by a half step: C D E♭ F G A♭ B. The raised seventh, B, is the one that makes the dominant chord major.
The C melodic minor scale raises both the sixth and the seventh on the way up: C D E♭ F G A B (A and B). In classical music it usually comes back down as the natural minor.
All major and minor scales
Major scales
- C major scale
- G major scale
- D major scale
- A major scale
- E major scale
- B major scale
- F♯ major scale
- D♭ major scale
- A♭ major scale
- E♭ major scale
- B♭ major scale
- F major scale