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Chord chart for Cm7♭5 Guitar Chord (C minor 7th flat 5): Notes, Shapes & How to Play | Guitar Wiz

C minor 7th flat 5 guitar shapes

Popular fretboard positions with fingering suggestions

Showing 8 of 22 playable shapes

C minor 7th flat 5 guitar chord diagram showing fretboard positions
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About the chord

C minor 7th flat 5 guitar chord

Cm7♭5 is the C minor 7th flat 5 guitar chord. It uses the notes C, E♭, G♭, and B♭ and the interval formula 1-♭3-♭5-♭7.

The C minor 7th flat 5 minor 7th flat 5 chord, also known as half-diminished, combines the diminished triad with a minor seventh B♭, producing a haunting, unresolved tension. It is essential in jazz harmony for its sophisticated, somber sound.

Also written as Cmin7(♭5) and Cm7(♭5).

Root note: C
Quality: minor 7th flat 5
Chord tones: 4
Playable shapes: 22

Chord tones

CE♭G♭B♭

Common guitar voicings

These are quick-start shapes for players who want the answer first and the deeper theory second.

Shape 1

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  1. 1 Place the 1st finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string and 4th string in barre position.
  2. 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the 1st string.
  3. 3 Place the 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the 5th string.
  4. 4 Place the 4th finger on the 3rd fret of the 3rd string.
  5. 5 Strum from the 5th string down.

Shape 2

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  1. 1 Place the 1st finger on the 6th fret of the 1st string and 5th string in barre position.
  2. 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 7th fret of the 2nd string.
  3. 3 Place the 3rd finger on the 8th fret of the 6th string.
  4. 4 Place the 4th finger on the 8th fret of the 3rd string and 4th string in barre position.
  5. 5 Strum from the 6th string down.

Notes & Intervals

Each note below shows how the chord is built from its root. This is the theory layer underneath the fretboard shapes.

C Unison (Root) 1

The root anchors the chord and defines its tonal center.

E♭ Minor Third ♭3

This note supplies the minor color and gives the chord its darker emotional pull.

G♭ Diminished Fifth ♭5

The flattened fifth adds tension and a restless, unstable edge.

B♭ Minor Seventh ♭7

The minor seventh adds bluesy or jazzy tension that wants to move onward.

Quick answers

What notes are in Cm7♭5?

Cm7♭5 uses the notes C, E♭, G♭, and B♭. Its interval formula is 1-♭3-♭5-♭7.

What is another name for Cm7♭5?

Cm7♭5 is also written as Cmin7(♭5) and Cm7(♭5).

How do you play Cm7♭5 on guitar?

Place the 1st finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string and 4th string in barre position. Place the 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the 1st string. Place the 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the 5th string. Place the 4th finger on the 3rd fret of the 3rd string. Strum from the 5th string down.

Related Articles

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