C

Diatonic Scale

C Natural Minor

The natural minor scale — dark, melancholic, the basis of minor key music.

Notes in C Natural Minor

C1
D2
D#3
F4
G5
G#6
A#7
C8

Chords in C Natural Minor

7 diatonic chords
DegreeChordNotesQuality
iCmC – D# – Gminor
iiD°D – F – G#diminished
IIID#D# – G – A#major
ivFmF – G# – Cminor
vGmG – A# – Dminor
VIG#G# – C – D#major
VIIA#A# – D – Fmajor

Other Scales in C

MajorC, D, E, F, G, A, BHarmonic MinorC, D, D#, F, G, G#, BMelodic MinorC, D, D#, F, G, A, BDorianC, D, D#, F, G, A, A#PhrygianC, C#, D#, F, G, G#, A#LydianC, D, E, F#, G, A, BMixolydianC, D, E, F, G, A, A#LocrianC, C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A#Major PentatonicC, D, E, G, AMinor PentatonicC, D#, F, G, A#BluesC, D#, F, F#, G, A#Whole ToneC, D, E, F#, G#, A#Diminished (H-W)C, C#, D#, E, F#, G, A, A#Diminished (W-H)C, D, D#, F, F#, G#, A, BPhrygian DominantC, C#, E, F, G, G#, A#Hungarian MinorC, D, D#, F#, G, G#, BLydian DominantC, D, E, F#, G, A, A#

Natural Minor in All 12 Keys

CC D D# F G G# A#C#D♭Db Eb E Gb Ab A BDD E F G A A# CD#E♭Eb F Gb Ab Bb B DbEE F# G A B C DFF G Ab Bb C Db EbF#G♭F# G# A B C# D EGG A A# C D D# FG#A♭Ab Bb B Db Eb E GbAA B C D E F GA#B♭Bb C Db Eb F Gb AbBB C# D E F# G A

Practice by Ear

Scale RecognitionIdentify the Natural Minor scale by ear →Play C Natural MinorHear the scale and practice recognising it →Chord Recognition TrainerIdentify the chords above by ear →Progression TrainerIdentify common progressions in this key →

Chords in C Natural Minor

The C natural minor scale contains the notes C, D, D#, F, G, G#, A#. The natural minor scale — dark, melancholic, the basis of minor key music.

The diatonic chords in C natural minor are Cm (i), D° (ii), D# (III), Fm (iv), Gm (v), G# (VI), A# (VII). These are the chords you can use when writing or improvising in this key — every note in each chord belongs to the C natural minor scale.

To develop your ear for the C natural minor sound, use the scale and chord trainers linked above. Being able to recognise these sounds by ear — not just read them from a chart — is what separates musicians who truly hear music from those who only read it.