Explore chords · Ukulele
C♯ 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele (C♯7♭5)
Also called or written C♯7♭5, C♯, C♯ Dominant 7th Flat 5 or C♯ 7th ♭5
C♯ 7th flat 5 is built from C♯, E♯, G, and B. The 6th fret shape stacks three fingers in a row before the pinky reaches fret 8.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionC♯–E♯–G–BC♯7♭50-1-1-2
- First inversionE♯–G–B–C♯C♯7♭5/E♯4-5-3-4
- Second inversionG–B–C♯–E♯C♯7♭5/G6-7-7-8
- Third inversionB–C♯–E♯–GC♯7♭5/B10-11-9-10
How do you play a C♯ 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele?
C♯ 7th flat 5 is played at the 6th fret as 6 7 7 8: index finger on the G string at fret 6, middle finger on the C string at fret 7, ring finger on the E string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6 | 1 | C♯ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 7 | 2 | G (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 7 | 3 | B (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 4 | E♯ (3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 8 cleanly while the ring finger holds fret 7 on the E string.
C♯7♭5/B inversion
C♯ 7th flat 5 is played at the 9th fret as 10 11 9 10: middle finger on the G string at fret 10, pinky finger on the C string at fret 11, index finger on the E string at fret 9 and ring finger on the A string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10 | 2 | E♯ (3) |
| 3 (C) | 11 | 4 | B (♭7) |
| 2 (E) | 9 | 1 | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 10 | 3 | G (♭5) |
Open
C♯ 7th flat 5 is played in open position as 0 1 1 2: index finger on the C string at fret 1, middle finger on the E string at fret 1 and ring finger on the A string at fret 2. The G string rings open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | open | — | G (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 1 | 1 | C♯ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 2 | E♯ (3) |
| 1 (A) | 2 | 3 | B (♭7) |
C♯7♭5/E♯ inversion
C♯ 7th flat 5 is played at the 3rd fret as 4 5 3 4: middle finger on the G string at fret 4, pinky finger on the C string at fret 5, index finger on the E string at fret 3 and ring finger on the A string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 4 | 2 | B (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 4 | E♯ (3) |
| 2 (E) | 3 | 1 | G (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 4 | 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 4th fret gives B 7th flat 5.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 7th fret gives D 7th flat 5.
Which voicing to use
The 6th fret position keeps C♯ in the bass for a root-position sound. The C♯7♭5/E♯ inversion at the 10th fret puts the major third in the bass, while the C♯7♭5/G inversion at the open position emphasizes the ♭5.
Other C♯ chords
Common questions
How is C♯ 7th flat 5 written?
C♯ 7th flat 5 is written as C♯7♭5 or C♯. The symbol C♯7♭5 is the most common, and the ASCII root is C#. 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 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.