How to play Cm (C Minor) on Ukulele
Diagram, notes, and audio for the Cm chord on ukulele. Free in your browser.
About Cm on ukulele
C minor on the ukulele is a four-finger barre at the 3rd fret. Barre your index across all four strings on the 3rd fret, then add the ring finger on the 5th fret of the C string. The chord notes are C, Eb, and G. Because the chord requires a barre, it is significantly harder than C major and typically appears in intermediate ukulele material rather than beginner songbooks.
Cm is the i chord in C minor (three flats), the vi in Eb major, and the iii in Ab major. On ukulele, Cm most often appears in jazz, blues, and Hawaiian-flavoured pop ballads where the songwriter wants a moody section in an otherwise major-key tune. Pairing Cm with F minor and G or G7 sets up a classic minor-key cadence that resolves with satisfying tension.
A simpler four-string Cm on ukulele uses no barre: middle on the 3rd fret of the G, ring on the 3rd fret of the C, pinky on the 3rd fret of the E, index on the 3rd fret of the A — fingertips lined up in a flat row. While not technically simpler than a barre, the visual symmetry helps beginners place all four fingers reliably without buzzing.
Frequently asked questions
- Is C minor hard on the ukulele?
- Yes — C minor requires a barre at the 3rd fret, unlike the one-finger C major. It usually appears in intermediate, not beginner, ukulele material.
- What's the difference between Cm and Cm7 on ukulele?
- Cm7 adds the note Bb on top of the Cm triad. On ukulele, Cm7 is a simpler shape than Cm itself, which is why pop and jazz arrangers often prefer it.
- What three notes are in a Cm chord on ukulele?
- C, Eb, and G — root, minor third, perfect fifth of the C minor scale.
Switch instruments
See Cm on a different instrument — same chord, new diagram.