Practice the C#m7b5 Guitar Chord with Interactive Feedback
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C#m7b5 is the symbol for the C# half-diminished chord, which contains C#, E, G and B (root, minor third, flat five and minor seventh). It is the ii chord of a minor key, so it often sits in front of a dominant chord in a minor ii-V-i progression. The listed voicings run from fret 2 up to fret 17.
A scale that covers every chord tone is the C# Locrian scale, which is where to start when you improvise. A lighter way to play seventh chords is covered in three-note seventh chords. Use the player at the top of the page to hear how the chord sounds strummed and when its notes are played one by one.
C# minor 7th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as C#m7b5, C#m7(b5), C#ø7 or C#min7b5. It is also known as the C# half-diminished chord.
C# m7b5 chord Notes:
Chord formula for the Minor Seventh Flat five chord:
Formula: 1 b3 b5 b7
C# M7b5 Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Open
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Let the G string play without pressing any fret
- Let the B string play without pressing any fret
- Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the A string
Position 2 Open
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the A string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the B string
Position 3 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the A string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 8 of the B string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 9 of the low E string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the G string
Position 4 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the A string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the B string
Position 5 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 11 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the G, B and high E strings at the same time
Position 6 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 16 of the A string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 16 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 17 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 17 of the B string
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
Which notes does C#m7b5 contain?
C#m7b5 is spelled C#, E, G and B. That is the root, minor third, flat fifth and minor seventh. G is six semitones from C#, and B is ten.
What is the difference between C#m7b5 and C#dim7?
Both share C#, E and G. The top note is the difference: C#m7b5 has a minor seventh, B, while C#dim7 lowers it a semitone to Bb, a diminished seventh.
Which scale can I use over C# half-diminished?
The C# Locrian scale, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B, contains all four chord tones. That makes it a good scale for building melodies over C#m7b5.
In which keys is C#m7b5 a diatonic chord?
C#m7b5 is the vii chord of D major and the ii chord of B minor. In both keys all four of its notes belong to the scale.
How many C#m7b5 voicings can be played on guitar?
There are 6 voicings, 2 of them using an open string and 1 using a barre. They span from fret 2 up to fret 17.
