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C 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele (C7♭5)
Also called or written C7♭5, C, C Dominant 7th Flat 5 or C 7th ♭5
C 7th flat 5 is built from C, E, G♭, and B♭. The 5th fret shape stacks three fingers in a row before the pinky reaches fret 7.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
How do you play a C 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele?
C 7th flat 5 is played at the 5th fret as 5 6 6 7: index finger on the G string at fret 5, middle finger on the C string at fret 6, ring finger on the E string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 7.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 5 | 1 | C (1) |
| 3 (C) | 6 | 2 | G♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 7 | 4 | E (3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 7 cleanly while the ring finger holds fret 6 on the E string.
C7♭5/B♭ inversion
C 7th flat 5 is played at the 8th fret as 9 10 8 9: middle finger on the G string at fret 9, pinky finger on the C string at fret 10, index finger on the E string at fret 8 and ring finger on the A string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 9 | 2 | E (3) |
| 3 (C) | 10 | 4 | B♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (E) | 8 | 1 | C (1) |
| 1 (A) | 9 | 3 | G♭ (♭5) |
C7♭5/E inversion
C 7th flat 5 is played at the 2nd fret as 3 4 2 3: middle finger on the G string at fret 3, pinky finger on the C string at fret 4, index finger on the E string at fret 2 and ring finger on the A string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 2 | B♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 4 | 4 | E (3) |
| 2 (E) | 2 | 1 | G♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (1) |
Why it sounds like that
C 7th flat 5 uses the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between C and G♭ gives the chord its tense color. Compare it to C 7th, which raises that G♭ to G.
What goes wrong with C 7th flat 5?
- Letting the pinky flatten onto the A string, which buzzes the note.
- Pressing the ring finger too far across, deadening the C string.
- Strumming before the middle finger is fully seated on the C string.
When to use it
C 7th flat 5 works as a tense dominant in C major, especially moving to C major or C 5th. Its altered fifth suits jazz and funk lines where a plain C 7th sounds too settled.
Changing to and from C 7th flat 5
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 3rd fret gives B♭ 7th flat 5.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 6th fret gives C♯ 7th flat 5.
Which voicing to use
The 5th fret position keeps C in the bass for a root-position sound. The C7♭5/E inversion at the 9th fret puts the major third in the bass, while the C7♭5/B♭ inversion at the 3rd fret emphasizes the ♭7.
Other C chords
Common questions
How is C 7th flat 5 written?
C 7th flat 5 is written as C7♭5 or C. The symbol C7♭5 is the most common.
What is the difference between C 7th flat 5 and C 7th?
C 7th flat 5 lowers the fifth from G to G♭, creating a diminished fifth. C 7th keeps the perfect fifth G.
Why does C 7th flat 5 sound unstable?
The diminished fifth between C and G♭ is a tritone, which wants to resolve. This tension makes the chord useful before a tonic.