Cm7 Guitar Chord

Cm7 is the C minor seventh chord. It has four notes: C, E flat, G and B flat. There is no open string version, so the standard shape is a barre at the 3rd fret. The good news: fret 3 is one of the most comfortable places on the neck to learn barring.

Barre five strings at fret 3, then stack the ring finger on the D string and the middle finger on the B string. The same grip as Bm7, one fret higher.

How to play Cm7, step by step

Index finger: press flat across the A to high E strings at fret 3
Middle finger: 4th fret, B string
Ring finger: 5th fret, D string
Strum from the A string down, skipping the low E.

This barre grip names a different minor seventh chord on every fret: at fret 2 it is Bm7, at fret 5 it is Dm7. Learn it once and you can use it everywhere.

More ways to play Cm7

There are 3 common Cm7 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Cm7 guitar chord diagram, easier, no barre, played x x 10 12 11 11 — Easier, no barre

Cm7 guitar chord diagram, barre at fret 8, played 8 10 8 8 8 8 — Barre at fret 8

Songs that use the Cm7 chord

Fixing a buzzy or patchy Cm7

Only some strings under the barre sound: The barre carries the A, G and high E strings here. Play the chord one string at a time and adjust the index finger until all three ring; rolling it toward its bony edge usually helps.
B string thuds: The middle finger has to arch over the G string to reach the B string at fret 4. If it lands too far from the fret it thuds; if it lies flat it kills the G string. Aim its tip just behind the 4th fret wire.
The low E leaks in: The chord starts on the A string. Let the tip of the barre lean on the low E to keep it quiet, or aim your strum to begin one string down.

What makes it a Cm7

C · E♭ · G · B♭ 1 ♭3 5 ♭7

Cm7 is a minor seventh chord: a C minor triad (C, Eb, G) plus a minor seventh (Bb). Adding the seventh takes the sting out of the minor and leaves something mellower. Cm7 spends most of its working life in flat keys: it is the ii chord in Bb major, where it sets up F7, and the vi chord in Eb major. It is also the home chord of C minor, where a song can sit on it for bars at a time.

Cm vs Cm7

Cm and Cm7 share the same 3rd fret barre. For Cm the pinky frets the G string at fret 5; for Cm7 that finger stays home and the barre sounds a B flat instead. The plain minor is darker and more final, the seventh version softer and more open ended. In funk and R&B style vamps the m7 is usually the one you want.

Cm7 chord questions

Is Cm7 a barre chord?

The standard shape barres five strings at fret 3. There is also a four string version at fret 10 on this page that needs no barre.

How do I play Cm7 without a barre?

Use the compact shape x x 10 12 11 11: index on the D string, then pinky, middle and ring on the next three. All four chord notes, no barre.

What is the difference between Cm7 and Cmaj7?

Cm7 has a minor third (Eb) and a flat seventh (Bb). Cmaj7 has a major third (E) and a major seventh (B). They share only two notes and sound nothing alike: Cm7 is mellow and dark, Cmaj7 bright and dreamy.

What keys use Cm7?

C minor first of all, plus Bb major, where it is the ii chord, and Eb major, where it is the vi. In the ii V I of Bb, the move is Cm7 to F7 to Bb.

Is Cm7 hard for beginners?

The barre takes practice, but this grip at fret 3 is friendlier than the same shape lower down. Start with the no barre version at fret 10 if the barre keeps buzzing.