Minor Descent Progression in C Minor for Mandolin

The C Minor scale on mandolin: the Minor Descent progression in its chords, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes: C D Eb F G Ab Bb

Tuning: Standard (G D A E)

Scale

Scale shapes

4NPS - First Position

E|--5---7---8--10-|
A|--5---6---8--10-|
D|--5---6---8--10-|
G|--4---6---8--10-|

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Cm	C Eb G	`5 5 6 3`
I	Cm	C Eb G	`5 5 6 8`
I	Cm	C Eb G	`8 5 6 8`
I	Cm	C Eb G	`8 10 10 8`
II	Ddim	D F Ab	`10 12 11 10`
II	Ddim	D F Ab	`13 12 8 10`
III	Eb	Eb G Bb	`3 1 1 3`
III	Eb	Eb G Bb	`0 1 1 3`
III	Eb	Eb G Bb	`3 5 6 3`
III	Eb	Eb G Bb	`3 5 6 6`
IV	Fm	F Ab C	`1 3 3 1`
IV	Fm	F Ab C	`5 3 3 4`
IV	Fm	F Ab C	`1 3 3 4`
IV	Fm	F Ab C	`10 10 11 8`
V	Gm	G Bb D	`3 5 5 3`
V	Gm	G Bb D	`0 0 1 3`
V	Gm	G Bb D	`3 0 1 3`
V	Gm	G Bb D	`7 5 5 6`
VI	Ab	Ab C Eb	`1 1 3 4`
VI	Ab	Ab C Eb	`5 6 6 4`
VI	Ab	Ab C Eb	`5 1 3 4`
VI	Ab	Ab C Eb	`8 6 3 4`
VII	Bb	Bb D F	`3 0 1 1`
VII	Bb	Bb D F	`3 3 5 6`
VII	Bb	Bb D F	`7 8 8 6`
VII	Bb	Bb D F	`7 3 5 6`

Minor Descent (i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII)

Chords: Cm – Bb – Ab – Bb

E|3-----------------------3---6---8---3-----------------------3---|1-------------------1---4---1-------------------1---4---1-------|
A|6---------------3---6---------------6---------------3---6-------|1-----------1---3-----------1-----------1---3-----------1-------|
D|5-------5---8-----------------------5-------5---8---------------|0---0---3-------------------0---0---3-------------------0---0---|
G|5---8-------------------------------5---8-----------------------|3---------------------------3---------------------------3-------|

E|4---------------------------3---4---4---------------------------|1-------------------1---4---1-------------------1---4---1-------|
A|3-------------------3---6-----------3-------------------3---6---|1-----------1---3-----------1-----------1---3-----------1-------|
D|1-------1---5---6-------------------1-------1---5---6-----------|0---0---3-------------------0---0---3-------------------0---0---|
G|1---5-------------------------------1---5-----------------------|3---------------------------3---------------------------3-------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Cm7	C Eb G Bb	`3 1 1 3`
I	Cm7	C Eb G Bb	`3 5 6 3`
I	Cm7	C Eb G Bb	`3 5 6 6`
I	Cm7	C Eb G Bb	`5 5 6 6`
II	Dm7b5	D F Ab C	`10 10 11 8`
II	Dm7b5	D F Ab C	`10 10 11 13`
III	Ebmaj7	Eb G Bb D	`0 0 1 3`
III	Ebmaj7	Eb G Bb D	`12 12 13 10`
IV	Fm7	F Ab C Eb	`1 1 3 4`
IV	Fm7	F Ab C Eb	`5 1 3 4`
IV	Fm7	F Ab C Eb	`x 3 6 4`
IV	Fm7	F Ab C Eb	`5 6 6 4`
V	Gm7	G Bb D F	`0 0 1 1`
V	Gm7	G Bb D F	`3 3 5 6`
V	Gm7	G Bb D F	`7 3 5 6`
V	Gm7	G Bb D F	`x 5 8 6`
VI	Abmaj7	Ab C Eb G	`5 5 6 3`
VI	Abmaj7	Ab C Eb G	`5 5 6 8`
VII	Bb7	Bb D F Ab	`3 3 1 4`
VII	Bb7	Bb D F Ab	`3 3 5 4`
VII	Bb7	Bb D F Ab	`3 6 5 4`
VII	Bb7	Bb D F Ab	`3 6 5 6`

Minor Descent (i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII)

Chords: Cm7 – Bb7 – Abmaj7 – Bb7

E|3-----------------------1---4---6---3-----------------------1---|4-----------------------1---4---6---4-----------------------1---|
A|1---------------1---5---------------1---------------1---5-------|1---------------1---5---------------1---------------1---5-------|
D|1-------3---6-----------------------1-------3---6---------------|3-------3---6-----------------------3-------3---6---------------|
G|3---7-------------------------------3---7-----------------------|3---7-------------------------------3---7-----------------------|

E|3-----------------------3---6---8---3-----------------------3---|4-----------------------1---4---6---4-----------------------1---|
A|6---------------3---6---------------6---------------3---6-------|1---------------1---5---------------1---------------1---5-------|
D|5-------5---8-----------------------5-------5---8---------------|3-------3---6-----------------------3-------3---6---------------|
G|5---8-------------------------------5---8-----------------------|3---7-------------------------------3---7-----------------------|

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Cm9	C Eb G Bb D	`0 0 1 x`
I	Cm9	C Eb G Bb D	`0 0 3 x`
I	Cm9	C Eb G Bb D	`3 0 3 3`
I	Cm9	C Eb G Bb D	`3 0 3 x`
II	Dm7b5b9	D F Ab C Eb	`1 1 3 1`
II	Dm7b5b9	D F Ab C Eb	`1 1 3 x`
II	Dm7b5b9	D F Ab C Eb	`x 1 3 1`
II	Dm7b5b9	D F Ab C Eb	`x 1 3 4`
III	Ebmaj9	Eb G Bb D F	`0 0 1 1`
III	Ebmaj9	Eb G Bb D F	`x 0 1 1`
III	Ebmaj9	Eb G Bb D F	`x 1 1 1`
III	Ebmaj9	Eb G Bb D F	`0 3 1 x`
IV	Fm9	F Ab C Eb G	`0 1 3 1`
IV	Fm9	F Ab C Eb G	`0 1 3 x`
IV	Fm9	F Ab C Eb G	`0 3 3 x`
IV	Fm9	F Ab C Eb G	`1 1 3 3`
V	Gm7b9	G Bb D F Ab	`x 8 11 10`
V	Gm7b9	G Bb D F Ab	`10 8 11 10`
VI	Abmaj9	Ab C Eb G Bb	`0 1 1 x`
VI	Abmaj9	Ab C Eb G Bb	`1 1 1 x`
VI	Abmaj9	Ab C Eb G Bb	`1 1 1 3`
VI	Abmaj9	Ab C Eb G Bb	`x 1 1 3`
VII	Bb9	Bb D F Ab C	`3 0 3 x`
VII	Bb9	Bb D F Ab C	`x 0 3 1`
VII	Bb9	Bb D F Ab C	`1 0 3 1`
VII	Bb9	Bb D F Ab C	`1 0 3 x`

Minor Descent (i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII)

Chords: Cm9 – Bb9 – Abmaj9 – Bb9

E|------------------------1---4---------------------------1---4---|--------------------1---4-----------------------1---4-----------|
A|1-------------------3-----------1-------------------3-----------|3-----------1---3-----------3-----------1---3-----------3-------|
D|0-------0---3---5---------------0-------0---3---5---------------|0---0---3-------------------0---0---3-------------------0---0---|
G|0---3---------------------------0---3---------------------------|3---------------------------3---------------------------3-------|

E|------------------------1---4---------------------------1---4---|--------------------1---4-----------------------1---4-----------|
A|1-------------------3-----------1-------------------3-----------|3-----------1---3-----------3-----------1---3-----------3-------|
D|1-------0---3---5---------------1-------0---3---5---------------|0---0---3-------------------0---0---3-------------------0---0---|
G|0---3---------------------------0---3---------------------------|3---------------------------3---------------------------3-------|

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