Cmin

Construction

Built from these intervals: 1-b3-5. The b3 -- three half steps above the root -- is the single interval that defines minor quality. It darkens the chord compared to major, where the natural 3 sits four half steps up. The 5 reinforces stability without adding color. This is the foundational minor triad.

Harmonic Function

In Roman numeral analysis (uppercase = major, lowercase = minor):

• i in minor keys -- tonic, the home chord for minor-key harmony. The i-iv-V-i cadence (V borrowed from harmonic minor, the minor scale with a raised 7th) is the standard minor resolution.
• ii in major keys -- supertonic (the chord built on the second scale degree), the departure point before V in progressions like ii-V-I.
• vi in major keys -- relative minor, the emotional pivot. The I-vi-IV-V progression drives countless pop songs.
• iv in minor keys -- subdominant, deepens the minor gravity of a key.

Character

Dark but stable. Where major chords declare, minor chords suggest -- melancholy, tension, emotional weight. That quality comes entirely from the b3. Compare to major: the only difference is 3 versus b3, one half step that changes everything. The minor triad is the starting point for three modes -- Dorian, Aeolian, and Phrygian -- each building a different scale world on the same dark foundation.

Related Sounds

These chords share the b3 -- each modifies one element to shift the color:

• maj (1-3-5) -- natural 3 instead of b3, the nearest neighbor and opposite emotional pole
• min7 (1-b3-5-b7) -- adds b7 for warmth and jazz sophistication
• min(add9) (1-b3-5-9) -- adds the 9 without a seventh, wistful and open
• min6 (1-b3-5-6) -- Dorian color, warmer than min7
• dim (1-b3-b5) -- both have b3, but the b5 replaces stability with tension

Voice Leading

Voice leading tracks how individual notes move from one chord to the next. Minor chords share tones (notes present in both chords) with many related chords, making them natural pivot points in progressions.

• i to V: The 5 holds as the root of V -- a common tone (a note shared between both chords). The b3 moves down a half step to the 5 of V, creating the pull toward resolution. The root can move down a half step to the 3 of V or leap to the root of V.
• i to bVI: The root holds as the 3 of bVI, and the b3 holds as the 5 -- two common tones. Only the 5 moves, up a half step to the root of bVI. Two shared notes make this one of the smoothest connections in minor keys.
• i to iv: The root holds as the 5 of iv -- one common tone. The b3 moves to the root or b3 of iv. The 5 moves to the root or b3 of iv. The minor iv deepens the key's darkness.

These movements apply in any key -- the intervals are the same regardless of root.

Practice Seeds

Arpeggiate. Play root, b3, and 5 as individual notes in different octaves and orders. Train your ear to hear the minor triad as three distinct intervals, not just a chord shape.

Compare to major. Play a major chord, then lower only the 3 by one half step. The only change is the 3 versus b3 -- one half step reshapes the entire emotional character. Internalize this as the defining sound of minor quality.

Identify function. When you hear a minor chord in a song, ask: is it i, ii, iv, or vi? The same chord takes on a different role depending on context -- this builds functional hearing.

Find the relative major. Every minor chord has a relative major a minor third above. Recognizing this connection unlocks the major scale for minor chord contexts.