How to play Cmin7(♯5)/B♭ chord on guitar
Shape xx8898
Shape characteristics
Partial barre
One finger presses two strings at the same fret. A lighter, less tiring grip than a full barre while still being fully movable.
Upper register · fret 8-9
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.
Four-string voicing
Compact and punchy. Easy to mute cleanly, cuts through a dense mix, and transitions quickly to other shapes.
Bass: B♭ · Top: C
The 7th (or equivalent upper tone) is in the bass, producing a suspended, leading quality that naturally wants to resolve downward.
Compared to Shape 666898 , this voicing uses a barre chord and sits lower on the neck (starting at fret 6) and adds 2 more ringing strings for a fuller sound.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 8th fret of the 1st string, 3rd string, and 4th string in barre position
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 9th fret of the 2nd string
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "xx8898" mean?
The sequence xx8898 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 Cmin7(♯5)/B♭ shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a Cmin7(♯5)/B♭ chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for Cmin7(♯5)/B♭. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
Why do some strings have an 'x'?
Strings marked with an 'x' should not ring out. These notes are excluded because they don't belong to the Cmin7(♯5)/B♭ chord or would clash with this specific voicing. You can mute these strings by lightly touching them with a finger that is already pressing a neighboring fret.
Other shapes
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