Cm barre chord, 3rd fret (335543)
- Fingering
- 335543
- Fingers
- 1 1 3 4 2 1
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Position
- barre chord, 3rd fret
Notes in the C minor chord
The Cm chord is made of C · E♭ · G. Its formula is 1–♭3–5.
| Note | Degree | Interval from C |
|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | root |
| E♭ | ♭3 | minor third |
| G | 5 | perfect fifth |
How to play the Cm guitar chord
Barre the 3rd fret with your first finger. Put your second finger on the 4th fret of the B string, your third finger on the 5th fret of the D string and your fourth finger on the 5th fret of the G string.
It is the A minor shape moved up three frets. The note on the low E string is G, the fifth of the chord; leave that string out and strum from the A string (x35543) if you want C in the bass.
Why your Cm chord buzzes or sounds muted
The high E string is the hardest to keep clean, because the first finger has to hold it down at the very tip of the barre. Shift the finger a few millimetres toward the floor so the string sits under flesh, not under a knuckle crease.
Easy Cm guitar chord
The easy Cm chord is xx5543: the top four strings of the full shape, with the low E and A strings left out. It still contains every note of the chord (C, Eb and G), so it is a real Cm, just thinner in the bass.
No barre is needed. Use one fingertip per string.
Cm barre chord
Cm has 2 barre shapes here: 335543 (barre at the 3rd fret) and 8-10-10-8-8-8 (barre at the 8th fret).
A barre shape has no open strings, so it moves. Slide any of them up one fret and you are playing C#m (Dbm).
Cm open chord
The open Cm chord is x31013. It uses the open G string, which is why it rings longer than the shapes higher up the neck.
Songs that use Cm
- Creep (Radiohead): G B C Cm
- Stray Cat Strut (Stray Cats): Cm Bb Ab G7
- Roxanne (The Police): Gm Dm Eb F Cm
Chord names only, as the songs are usually charted for guitar. Recordings may use a capo or another key.
Keys with the Cm chord
Cm is the vi chord in Eb major, iii chord in Ab major and ii chord in Bb major. In minor keys it is the i chord in C minor, v chord in F minor and iv chord in G minor.
Chords related to Cm
Cm guitar chord questions
How do you play a Cm chord on guitar?
Play 335543, reading from the low E string to the high E string, with a barre at the 3rd fret. An x means the string is not played and a 0 means it rings open. The fingers used are 1 1 3 4 2 1.
What notes are in the Cm chord?
The C minor chord has 3 notes: C, Eb and G. Its formula is 1–♭3–5, counted from the C major scale.
Is there an easy way to play Cm?
Yes. Play xx5543, which uses only the top four strings and no full barre. It contains the same notes: C, Eb and G.
What keys is the Cm chord in?
Cm is the vi chord in Eb major, iii chord in Ab major and ii chord in Bb major. In minor keys it is the i chord in C minor, v chord in F minor and iv chord in G minor.
Cm chord diagram to print or save
Printable Cm chord PDF (one letter page, black on white) · Cm chord PNG (1200 px)
