C# Minor 7 flat 5 Guitar Chord — Drop C
Guitar chord voicings in Drop C tuning (C-G-C-F-A-D)
C# Minor 7 flat 5 Voicings in Drop C
C# Minor 7 flat 5 filtered by fret:
C# Minor 7 flat 5 in Drop C Tuning — Guide
The C# Minor 7 flat 5 chord is made up of the following notes: C#, E, G, B.
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 5d, 7m.
The C# Minor 7 flat 5 chord in Drop C tuning (C-G-C-F-A-D) requires different fingerings than standard tuning.
The C# half-diminished chord (m7b5) combines a diminished triad with a minor seventh, yielding C#, E, G, B and intervals 1P, 3m, 5d, 7m. It carries the instability of the diminished fifth but softened by the minor seventh, creating a questioning, unresolved quality. This chord is critical in jazz as the ii chord in minor-key ii-V-I progressions and appears frequently in bossa nova and film music.
How to Play C# Minor 7 flat 5
On guitar, C# m7b5 typically requires a barre or partial barre voicing. Experiment with different positions to find the voicing that best suits your playing context — higher positions sound brighter and tighter, while lower positions offer more bass and resonance. CAGED system shapes help navigate these options efficiently.
C# Minor 7 flat 5 in Progressions
C# half-diminished (m7b5) most commonly serves as the ii chord in a minor ii-V-i progression in E minor. It also appears as the vii chord in D major, making it a critical chord for navigating minor-key harmony.
Common Substitutions
Em6, C#m9b5, or G7 offer alternatives that maintain the half-diminished tension.
Difficulty: This is an advanced chord on guitar — it requires precise finger placement and usually a barre or uncommon shape.