C7♭5
Character: edgy
- CRtriad
- E3triad
- G♭♭5triad
- B♭♭7add
7 ways to play C7♭5
Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.
- Triad note
- Substitute
- Added
- Anchored root
- Bass
- Doubling
Frets 2 3 2 3 x xNotes G♭ C E B♭Intervals ♭5 1 3 ♭7
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 4 5 5 6Notes G♭ C E B♭Intervals ♭5 1 3 ♭7
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 3 4 3 5 0Notes C G♭ B♭ EIntervals 1 ♭5 ♭7 3
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
Frets 6 7 4 5 x xNotes B♭ E G♭ CIntervals ♭7 3 ♭5 1
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 8 9 7 8Notes B♭ E G♭ CIntervals ♭7 3 ♭5 1
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 8 9 10 9 11 0Notes G♭ C E B♭Intervals ♭5 1 3 ♭7
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 8 9 8 9 x xNotes C G♭ B♭ EIntervals 1 ♭5 ♭7 3
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
The construction rules C7♭5 follows
Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
A third on top makes a 7th chord
A major 7th over a major triad is maj7, a ♭7 is a dominant 7. Over minor you get m7 or m(maj7); over diminished, m7♭5 or the °7, whose 7th is lowered twice.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.
The root can move down
When an extension needs the root’s string, the root can drop to the string below the triad: an anchored voicing keeps the bass and frees a string on top.
Alter a dominant for tension
Raise or lower the 5th or the 9th, or add a ♯11 or ♭13, and a dominant 7th pulls harder towards the next chord: G7♯9, G7♭9, G7♭13.
All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.
Dominant 7th ♭5 in every key
More chords on C
C7♭5 chord questions
What notes are in C7♭5?
C7♭5 is spelled C E G♭ B♭: C is the root, E is the 3rd, G♭ is the ♭5th, B♭ is the ♭7th.
What is the formula of C7♭5?
1 3 ♭5 ♭7. It is a C triad triad with the ♭7th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play C7♭5 on guitar?
This page shows 7 voicings of C7♭5, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.