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C♯ 7th flat 5 chord on guitar (C♯7♭5)
Also called or written C♯7♭5, C♯, C♯ Dominant 7th Flat 5 or C♯ 7th ♭5
C♯ 7th flat 5 contains C♯, E♯, G, and B. This advanced 4th fret shape requires a wide stretch from the 4th fret to the 6th fret while muting two strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionC♯–E♯–G–BC♯7♭5×-4-5-4-6-×
- First inversionE♯–G–B–C♯C♯7♭5/E♯1-2-3-0-2-×
- Second inversionG–B–C♯–E♯C♯7♭5/G3-2-3-0-2-×
- Third inversionB–C♯–E♯–GC♯7♭5/B×-2-3-0-2-1
How do you play a C♯ 7th flat 5 chord on guitar?
C♯ 7th flat 5 is played at the 4th fret as × 4 5 4 6 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 4, ring finger on the D string at fret 5, middle finger on the G string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 6. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 | C♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 3 | G (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 2 | B (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 4 | E♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe hardest part is stretching the pinky to the 6th fret on the B string while the index and middle fingers hold the 4th fret on the A and G strings.
8th fret
C♯ 7th flat 5 is played at the 8th fret as 9 8 9 10 8 ×: barre your index finger across fret 8, middle finger on the low E string at fret 9, ring finger on the D string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 10. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 2 | C♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 1 (barre) | E♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 3 | B (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 4 | E♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 1 (barre) | G (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
9th fret
C♯ 7th flat 5 is played at the 9th fret as 9 10 9 10 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 9, ring finger on the A string at fret 10, middle finger on the D string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 10. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 | C♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 3 | G (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 2 | B (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 4 | E♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
11th fret
C♯ 7th flat 5 is played at the 11th fret as × × 11 12 12 13: index finger on the D string at fret 11, middle finger on the G string at fret 12, ring finger on the B string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 13. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 | C♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 2 | G (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 3 | B (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 4 | E♯ (3) |
C♯7♭5/E♯ inversion
C♯ 7th flat 5 is played in open position as 1 2 3 0 2 ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, middle finger on the A string at fret 2, pinky finger on the D string at fret 3 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2. The G string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 | E♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | B (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 4 | E♯ (3) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
C♯ 7th flat 5 is built from the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th from C♯ to G gives the chord its tense quality. Compare it to C♯ 7th, which raises the ♭5 to a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with C♯ 7th flat 5?
- Letting the low E string ring open adds an E, which is not a chord tone.
- Letting the high e string ring open adds an E, which is not a chord tone.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the D string mutes its fretted note.
When to use it
C♯ 7th flat 5 works as a dominant chord in jazz and blues, often resolving to C♯ major or C♯ 5th. Its tense sound suits turnarounds and passing moments.
Changing to and from C♯ 7th flat 5
- Move to <a href="/guitar/c-sharp-7-chord">C♯ 7th</a> by sliding the pinky from the 6th fret to the 5th fret on the B string while keeping the other fingers in place.
Which voicing to use
The 4th fret position keeps the bass note C♯ on the 5th string. For a brighter sound, use the 8th fret barre shape, which also has C♯ in the bass but higher register.
Other C♯ chords
Common questions
How is C♯ 7th flat 5 written?
C♯ 7th flat 5 is written as C♯7♭5 or C#7b5. It may also be called Dominant 7th Flat 5 or 7th ♭5. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between C♯ 7th flat 5 and C♯ 7th?
C♯ 7th flat 5 has a diminished 5th (G) instead of the perfect 5th (G♯) in C♯ 7th. This single note creates a more dissonant, unresolved sound.
Can C♯ 7th flat 5 be used in place of C♯ 7th?
Yes, but it adds tension. Use C♯ 7th flat 5 when you want a more altered dominant sound, especially before resolving to a major chord.