No matter the songs you want to play on your guitar, expect to find many featuring the Cm guitar chord quite prominently. From big band and blues to rock and country, this guitar chord adds a dose of excitement to any song. However, with its complex finger positioning, it’s an awkward chord that can leave many beginners frustrated. If you want to learn how to play the Cm guitar chord in its standard form as well as some other ways that may be easier, you’re in the right place.
Table of Contents
- How Do You Play Cm on Guitar?
- How Do You Play an Easy Cm Chord on Guitar?
- How Do You Play Easy Cm?
- Is Cm C Major or Minor?
- What Can I Use Instead of Cm?
- What Note is Cm?
- Songs with Cm Guitar Chord
How Do You Play Cm on Guitar?
To play the Cm chord on your guitar, it’s going to take plenty of practice so that you not only learn the proper positioning for your fingers, but also so that you build up the finger strength necessary to play the chord. In its standard form, you’ll be using a barre and all four fingers. Later on, you’ll learn a few easier versions, but for now let’s look at the one you’ll use as your guitar skills progress.
With your first finger, make a barre at the third fret, from the fifth string to the first one. Then, your second finger goes just in front, on the fourth fret of the second string. Your third finger will then go up two strings and over one, meaning on the fifth fret of the fourth string. As for your fourth finger, it drops in underneath, landing on the fifth fret of the third string. Once all your fingers are in place, play only the five highest strings.
How Do You Play an Easy Cm Chord on Guitar?
After you’ve tried the standard Cm guitar chord, it’s no surprise you are eager to learn an easy Cm chord. For starters, you won’t need the barre. Instead, you’ll just use four fingers lined up in a row. To begin, your first finger will go on the first string at the third fret. Next, your second finger goes in front on the second string of the fourth fret. Then, fingers three and four will go on the next two strings, placing them on the fifth fret of the third and fourth strings. While you should practice this version and the standard version, chances are you’ll prefer this easier version initially.
How Do You Play Easy Cm?
Should you be searching for a super easy way to play the Cm guitar chord, your search will not be in vain. In fact, there is a version that is so easy that it only requires you to use two fingers. To give this a try, put your first finger on the sixth string, at the third fret. Next, place your second finger on the fifth string, also at the third fret. Afterwards, play strings three and four open, while muting strings one and two. While it may not provide the exact tone you’d get from a standard Cm guitar chord, it will more than suffice in most songs you’ll be playing as a beginner.
Is Cm C Major or Minor?
When you are playing the Cm guitar chord, you are playing a minor chord that contains the notes C, E flat, and G. Featured in some of the best-known songs of rock and roll, its standard version gives even the most skilled guitarists problems at times. However, with its many variations, you and other guitarists can usually find ways around having to play the chord in its most difficult form.
What Can I Use Instead of Cm?
As a beginning guitar player, trying to use the standard barre version of Cm will leave you exasperated and wondering why you ever picked up this six-stringed instrument in the first place. However, before you leave your guitar dreams behind, remember that you can use many variations of the Cm guitar chord.
For variation number one, your first finger will go on the fourth string at the fifth fret. Then place your second finger on the fifth string at the sixth fret. Finger number three will then go on the sixth string at the eighth fret, while your fourth finger will be placed on the third string, also at the eighth fret. When you’re ready to play, mute strings one and two.
Another variation involves putting your first finger on the fifth string at the sixth fret, your second finger on the sixth string of the eighth fret, and your third finger on the second string at the eighth fret. Finally, finger four is on the first string of the eighth fret, and strings three and four are muted when playing.
To play these variations correctly and give your song the tone it deserves, you’ll need to practice your finger positioning and spend lots of time getting in your practice sessions. Also, as you learn more Cm chord variations and try them out in different songs, you’ll find some sound better than others within certain contexts.
What Note is Cm?
As you found our earlier, the Cm chord is the notes C, E flat, and G. Since this chord is found in so many different types of songs, you will become a better guitar player by learning not only the many different variations of the chord, but also how those variations are used within different musical genres. For example, while one Cm chord variation may give a blues song just the right sound, another may be just what is needed in a classic rock and roll medley.
Songs with Cm Guitar Chord
If you are looking for great songs that feature this complex yet stylish guitar chord, you won’t have to look around and listen very long until you discover quite a few. Should you be a fan of the classic rock duo Steely Dan, listen closely to their hit “Don’t Take Me Alive,” since the Cm chord is heard from start to finish. Other popular songs where you’ll hear the Cm chord prominently include Taylor Swift’s “Dancing with Our Hands Tied,” “I’m a Mess” by Ed Sheeran, “Death of a Martian” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and “The Little Things Give You Away” by Linkin Park.
Whether you’re taking guitar lessons from a teacher in person, are watching online videos to self-teach yourself, or have just picked up your guitar and want to learn how to make it produce those beautiful sounds that can only be made by an acoustic guitar, learning the standard version of the Cm chord and its many different variations will be worth the effort. Whether you like Taylor or the Chili Peppers, you’ll soon be playing their songs.
