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C♯ minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar (C♯m7♭5)
Also called or written C♯m7♭5, C♯ or C♯ Half Diminished Minor 7
C♯ minor 7th flat 5th contains C♯, E, G, and B. The 2nd fret voicing uses a barre and a stretch to the 4th fret, testing finger independence.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionC♯–E–G–BC♯m7♭5×-4-2-4-2-3
- First inversionE–G–B–C♯C♯m7♭5/E0-2-2-0-2-0
- Second inversionG–B–C♯–EC♯m7♭5/G3-2-2-0-2-0
- Third inversionB–C♯–E–GC♯m7♭5/B×-2-2-0-2-0
How do you play a C♯ minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar?
C♯ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 2nd fret as × 4 2 4 2 3: barre your index finger across fret 2, ring finger on the A string at fret 4, pinky finger on the G string at fret 4 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 3 | C♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 (barre) | E (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 4 | B (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 2 | G (♭5) |
AdvancedThe 2nd fret voicing requires a barre across the 4th and 2nd strings while the pinky reaches the 4th fret.
4th fret
C♯ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 4th fret as × 4 5 4 5 ×: 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 5. 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) | 5 | 4 | E (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
9th fret
C♯ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 9th fret as 9 10 9 9 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 9, pinky finger on the A string at fret 10, middle finger on the D string at fret 9 and ring finger on the G string at fret 9. 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 | 4 | G (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 2 | B (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 3 | E (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
11th fret
C♯ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 11th fret as × × 11 12 12 12: 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 12. 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) | 12 | 4 | E (♭3) |
C♯m7♭5/E inversion — the easy shape, no barre
C♯ minor 7th flat 5th is played in open position as 0 2 2 0 2 0: index finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the D string at fret 2 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2. The low E, G and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | B (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 2 | E (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
C♯ minor 7th flat 5th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between C♯ and G gives the chord its tense quality. Compare it to C♯ minor 7th, which has a G♯ instead of G.
What goes wrong with C♯ minor 7th flat 5th?
- Letting the 6th string ring out, which adds an E that is a chord tone but muddies the bass.
- Not pressing the barre firmly, causing the 2nd string to buzz.
When to use it
C♯ minor 7th flat 5th acts as the ii chord in B natural minor, leading to F♯7 and then B minor. Its biting sound fits modern jazz and fusion.
Changing to and from C♯ minor 7th flat 5th
- Move to C♯ minor 7th by lifting the pinky from the 3rd string, 4th fret, and placing it on the 2nd string, 4th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 2nd fret voicing has the root C♯ in the bass, while the 4th fret position offers a movable shape without a barre. The 9th fret position provides a higher register for comping.
Other C♯ chords
Common questions
How is C♯ minor 7th flat 5th written?
C♯ minor 7th flat 5th is written as C♯m7♭5 or C♯ half-diminished. The ASCII root is C#. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between C♯ minor 7th flat 5th and C♯ diminished?
Its verified note order explains the sound without relying on outside harmony. The half-diminished chord is less tense.
Why is the 6th string muted in the 2nd fret voicing?
The 6th string open is E, which is a chord tone, but muting it preserves the intended bass note C♯ and keeps the voicing clear.