How to play C minor 7th flat 5 chord on guitar
Shape 8988b8
Shape characteristics
Closed voicing
Every sounding string is fretted, with no open strings. Tight, controllable tone that responds well to palm muting and dynamic picking.
Upper register · fret 8-11
Brighter, more focused tone with less low-end. Works well when layering over a bassist or second guitar, and integrates naturally with lead-line phrasing higher on the neck.
Full six-string voicing
All six strings ring, giving you the biggest, most resonant version of this chord, ideal for strumming and solo acoustic contexts.
Bass: C · Top: C
The root is in the bass, so the chord sounds grounded and stable. This is the natural starting voicing for most progressions.
Shape 89a8b8 is the closest alternative voicing. Try both to see which fits better.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 8th fret of the 1st string, 3rd string, 4th string, and 6th string in barre position
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 9th fret of the 5th string
- 3 Place the 4th finger on the 11th fret of the 2nd string
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "8988b8" mean?
The sequence 8988b8 is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.
- x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
- 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
- 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
- a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).
Can I play this C minor 7th flat 5 shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a C minor 7th flat 5 chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for C minor 7th flat 5. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
Other shapes
Showing 8 of 22 playable shapes