C Minor Major 7 Chord

What is the C Minor Major 7 Chord?

The C Minor Major 7 chord is a useful grip to learn because it shows you the core chord tones you'll reuse in riffs, progressions, and improvisation.

Notes and Arpeggios

The minor-major 7th chord pairs a minor triad with a natural (major) 7th, creating a dramatic, film-noir quality sometimes called "the James Bond chord." The clash between the minor 3rd and major 7th produces a haunting dissonance that's immediately recognizable. The chord tones are: C, Eb, G, B. It's built from degrees 1, b3, 5, and 7.

How to Use It

This is especially common in blues and jazz, and it also shows up in funk and R&B comping. On bass, you usually outline this chord instead of strumming it: emphasize the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th as the harmony requires, then use passing tones to connect back to the groove.

Build a one-bar bass line from the chord tones before adding scale passing tones. Use the highlights to spot where the same tone repeats across strings.