Guitar tuning

Open C Minor Tuning

C·G·C·G·C·Eb

Tonal centre C minor Also called Cross-note C, CGCGCEb Difficulty Moderate — four strings move, one of them a long way

Open on the Canvas → Explore chords in the app

Open C minor tunes the open strings to a C minor chord: C, G, C, G, C, Eb from low to high. It is Open C with the top string lowered a semitone from E to Eb, turning the open major chord minor — the same “cross-note” idea as Open D minor and Open E minor, pitched lower and with a heavy low C.

The doubled C and G strings give it a deep drone, and a straight barre at any fret is another minor chord. It asks for a heavier low string — the 6th drops a major third to C — but rewards it with a dark, resonant foundation that fingerstyle and slide players use for brooding, open-tuned minor pieces.

How to tune to Open C Minor

From standard tuning:

6th (lowest) E → C (down a major third)
5th A → G (down a whole step)
4th D → C (down a whole step)
3rd G — unchanged
2nd B → C (up a semitone)
1st (highest) E → Eb (down a semitone)

Open—Shape’s tuner listens for one string at a time and tells you which string it is and how far off — including in alternate tunings like this one.

What Open C Minor does well

A minor chord, open. Strum the open strings for Cm with nothing fretted; barre any fret for another minor chord.
A deep drone. Three C strings and two G strings ring as pedal tones under everything, anchored by the low C.
The cross-note move. Raise the minor third a semitone for the major chord, and slide between the two for the classic cross-note bend.
Low and resonant. The dropped low C gives the tuning a weight the higher open-minor tunings do not have.

Common chords in Open C Minor

Open C minor is Open C with the top string lowered to a minor third. The grid shows the easiest voicing the engine finds for each chord; tap to browse the rest.

Cm 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 of 806 → Cm7 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 of 622 → Fm 5 5 0 5 0 5 1 of 303 → Gm 7 0 7 7 7 7 1 of 234 → Ab x 1 0 1 0 0 1 of 547 → Eb 3 0 3 3 3 0 1 of 393 → Bb x 3 2 3 2 2 1 of 144 → G7 x 0 2 4 2 2 1 of 272 →

Numbers read low string to high; 0 is open, × is muted.

A progression to try

A Cm–Fm–Gm loop, the minor mirror of an Open C progression:

Cm→Fm→Gm→Cm

Songs in Open C Minor

Fingerstyle and slide pieces in a minor key
The low counterpart to Open D minor and Open E minor
Used for brooding, drone-based minor writing

Where you’ll hear it

Fingerstyle and slide players after a dark, low open-minor tuning — the same circle that uses Open D minor and Open E minor, reaching for more low-end weight. A niche tuning with a strong character.

Open a Open C Minor canvas — a tuning module already set, wired to a starter progression, every shape recalculated for you.

Open on the Canvas → Explore chords in the app

Open C Minor tuning FAQ

What are the notes in Open C minor tuning?

From lowest to highest: C, G, C, G, C, Eb. It is Open C (C, G, C, G, C, E) with the 1st string lowered a semitone from E to Eb, which turns the open chord from C major to C minor.

How is Open C minor different from Open C?

One note. Open C is a major chord open; Open C minor lowers the top string a semitone so the open chord is minor. Barre chords become minor rather than major to match.

Do I need a heavier string for Open C minor?

For the low C, yes. The 6th string drops a major third from E, so a standard 6th will feel slack and dull — a heavier gauge keeps the low end tight.

Is Open C minor good for slide?

Yes — every fret barred straight across gives a minor chord, and the drone strings sustain under a slide. It is the low, minor member of the cross-note family.

Can I use a capo in Open C minor?

Yes — a capo raises the whole minor tuning to a higher key while keeping the shapes. Open—Shape recalculates every voicing for the capo position.

Related tunings

Open D Minor Open E Minor Open A Minor Open G Minor Open E Minor 7 Open A Minor 7 Open E7 Open G Major 7