Cm7 ukulele chord
Cm7 (C minor seventh) is built from C, Eb, G and Bb, the degrees 1–b3–5–b7. On ukulele, the main shape is 3 3 3 3, the first diagram, marked with the star.
Cm7 is CmCmCmCm with its shoulders down: the same serious subject, told calmly. Give the audio below a listen and hear the change in tone of voice.
Hear Cm7 before you play
Why Cm7 sounds this way
The recipe: take the Cm you know — C, D#, G — and add A# on top. Go back to the audio and catch the arpeggio note by note and wait for the fourth note. It doesn't make the chord happy; it takes the weight off its shoulders. That's why bossa nova, neo-soul and the whole of R&B live here.
How to play Cm7 on ukulele
On the ukulele, the high reentrant G makes every shape light — and with four strings, every note is exposed. So start with the first position below — it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Four notes sharing the same space, so there's one rule: every single one has to ring. Go note by note, like checking signatures. A muffled chord here is a double waste.
In the app: 8 Cm7 shapes on ukulele
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio and the campanella of each shape are part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · see it in Chord and Fret
Mid-neck positions are the favorites of anyone backing a singer: they leave the treble free for the voice. File it away for that day.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
Cm7 notes and degrees
Cm7 stacks the root C, the minor third Eb, the perfect fifth G and the minor seventh Bb.
Where Cm7 shows up
Here's the backstage secret: Cm7's classic job is being the ii — the first piece of the ii–V–I, the most-used sentence in jazz and everything jazz ever touched. Across keys you'll find it as i7 in C minor, v7 in F minor, iv7 in G minor. In other words: this chord is almost never standing still; it's setting something up.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · use it in Chord and Fret
Identify Chord: Found a shape on your fretboard? Mark it on the screen and the app names the chord, 5 times a day for free · try it in Chord and Fret
Where Cm7 usually goes
Treating Cm7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it tends to go toward the pre-dominant (Fm7) or the dominant (G7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond Cm7
For improvising, C Dorian (C D Eb F G A Bb · 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7: the minor scale with a major sixth — the minor that smirks); C Aeolian (C D Eb F G Ab Bb · 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7: the natural minor, the major scale's relative sibling); C Dorian ♭2 (C Db Eb F G A Bb · 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7: a dorian with a lowered second) contain the whole chord. And the jazz shapes at the bottom are these same four notes rearranged across the neck: same chord, arranger's polish.
C Dorian
In the app: the 7 positions of C Dorian on ukulele
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same C Dorian in its main shapes along the neck — pick whichever position sits under your hand. The rings mark the guide notes (the 3rd and 7th) that carry this chord's color.
Scale: The scale's positions across the neck, with degree, note and finger labels, free; playing the scale and the tempo-ramp exercise are part of Pro · try it in Chord and Fret
Scales to improvise over Cm7
To improvise over Cm7 as home, the C Aeolian scale fits entirely: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. And when the dominant (G) pulls back, the leading tone B is the note that wants to resolve home.
Swaps that work:
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · open in Chord and Fret
Remember I said it's setting something up? This is it: F7. Play Cm7 → F7 and you've just built half a ii–V — the gear that's been turning jazz for a hundred years.
Cm7 chord questions
What notes are in the Cm7 chord?
The Cm7 chord is made of the notes C, Eb, G and Bb.
How do you play Cm7 on ukulele?
Form the shape from string 4 to string 1: 3 3 3 3. The shape starts at fret 3.
What chord comes after Cm7?
Treating Cm7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it tends to go toward the pre-dominant (Fm7) or the dominant (G7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
What scale works over Cm7?
To improvise over Cm7 as home, the C Aeolian scale fits entirely: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.