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C Minor (Cm) Chord Guitar

The A-minor shape barred at the 3rd fret — dark and entirely moveable.

The open A minor shape barred at the 3rd fret, rooted on the A string.
Every note is fretted, so it sounds tighter and darker than open minor chords.
It has no open-position shape — barre technique is the only way in.
The signature C → Cm drop in "Creep", and the iv chord in G minor.

Root3rd5th

Index finger barres at the 3rd fret (A-shape moved up)

E6th

FretMuted

Finger—

A5th

Fret3

Finger1

D4th

Fret5

Finger3

G3rd

Fret5

Finger4

B2nd

Fret4

Finger2

e1st

Fret3

Finger1

Notes: C – G – D# · Formula: 1 – ♭3 – 5

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Questions about C Minor (Cm)

What notes are in a C Minor (Cm) chord?

A C Minor (Cm) chord contains the notes C, G, D#. It is built from the minor formula 1 - ♭3 - 5, with C as the root.

Why does the change from C to Cm sound so striking?

Because only one note moves: the major third (E) drops a half-step to the minor third (E♭). That single semitone flips the chord from bright to melancholy while everything around it stays put — the most economical way to darken a progression, and exactly the move "Creep" is built on.

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