C minor seventh

Cm7

Also written Cmin7 · C−7 · Cmi7

NotesC · E♭ · G · B♭
Formula1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
C1G5E♭♭3B♭♭7
Root position

The minor 7th: ii of B♭ major, where it opens the ii–V–I Cm7 → F7B♭maj7. It also plays iii of A♭ major and vi of E♭ major.

How pianists voice Cm7

Nobody plays a jazz chord in root position. These are the shapes that actually get played — the same ones Cadenza shows when you play the chord.

Shell Left hand

C1E♭♭3B♭♭7

1 · ♭3 · ♭7 — root, 3rd and 7th: the three notes that say what the chord is. Left hand, low; everything else is colour.

Rootless A From the 3rd

G5D9E♭♭3B♭♭7

♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 — no root: the bass player has it. The left-hand voicing of modern jazz piano. Without C underneath, the same keys read as E♭maj7 — the bass turns them into Cm7.

Rootless B From the 7th

D9G5B♭♭7E♭♭3

♭7 · 9 · ♭3 · 5 — the other half of the pair. A and B alternate through a ii–V–I so the hand barely moves.

Drop 2 Two hands

G5C1E♭♭3B♭♭7

5 · 1 · ♭3 · ♭7 — close position with the second voice from the top dropped an octave: wider, warmer, the standard for chord melody.

Cm7 inversions

The same 4 notes with a different one in the bass. Each inversion is written as a slash chord.

Root position Cm7

C1G5E♭♭3B♭♭7

Root at the bottom, stacked in 3rds: 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7.

1st inversion Cm7/E♭

G5C1E♭♭3B♭♭7

E♭ (the ♭3) in the bass: ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 1.

2nd inversion Cm7/G

G5C1B♭♭7E♭♭3

G (the 5) in the bass: 5 · ♭7 · 1 · ♭3.

3rd inversion Cm7/B♭

C1G5B♭♭7E♭♭3

B♭ (the ♭7) in the bass: ♭7 · 1 · ♭3 · 5.

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