Natural Minor Three

i–iv–v · Minor three chords · C minor · i–iv–v

Natural Minor Three is a chord pattern you can play in any key. The degrees are i–iv–v.

The three chords of the natural minor as they are. A plain, folk-like darkness with little pull, so it repeats comfortably.

Patterns are common chord moves. They are not the chart of a recorded hit.

Patterns are named by theory. Play them in any key that fits your voice.

Each song page has a chord chart, fingerings, and the same song in every key.

The pattern

i – iv – v

Cm · Fm · Gm

Chord chart

Chord chart
1	Cm	Fm	Gm

How to sing it

The pull is weak, so stopping anywhere sounds fine. Good for repeating the same tune like a folk song, and it stays plain if you do not raise the voice on the last chord.

In every key

In every key
Keys	Chord chart
C minor · Written in this key	Cm · Fm · Gm
Db minor	C#m · F#m · G#m
D minor	Dm · Gm · Am
Eb minor	D#m · G#m · A#m
E minor	Em · Am · Bm
F minor	Fm · Bbm · Cm
F# minor	F#m · Bm · C#m
G minor	Gm · Cm · Dm
Ab minor	G#m · C#m · D#m
A minor	Am · Dm · Em
Bb minor	Bbm · Ebm · Fm
B minor	Bm · Em · F#m

Heard in

Black Magic Woman · Santana (originally Fleetwood Mac). Uses the three minor chords, but in the order i–v–iv, as a twelve-bar minor blues rather than a four-bar loop, and with sevenths.
Ain't No Sunshine · Bill Withers. The same three minor chords appear in A minor, but in the order i–v–iv with a ♭VII mixed in. An eight-bar loop, and the chorus sits on one chord.

These songs use this pattern. This is not their chord chart: real recordings differ in key, rhythm and the chords they add.

Public-domain songs with this pattern

No Songbook entry uses this pattern as a run of chords.