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Cb guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a · Classic Ascending (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)
The thumb plays B on the 5th and the three top strings add up to 3 different notes. All 6 arpeggios
Steady bass with uniform ascending movement.
The notes of Cb are Cb, Eb and Gb. Cb is the root, Eb the major third and Gb the fifth. Said aloud, its notes are C flat, E flat and G flat.
From the low string to the high one you hear Cb, Gb, Cb, Eb and Gb. The root, Cb, shows up twice in the main shape. The lowest note is Cb on string 5 and the highest is Gb on string 1.
You play Cb with a barre at fret 2. String 6 stays silent. Everything fits between frets 2 and 4. The second shape on this page starts at fret 7.
Cbm is one change away. String 2 moves from fret 4 to fret 3, bringing in Ebb, the minor third of Cbm. It shares two notes with Abm, Cb and Eb. Going to B7, two positions stay the same. It can also be written B, and it sounds the same.
Cb shows up in seven keys. In B major it is the I, in E major the V and in Gb major the IV. The rest appear in the key list.
Cb 1Eb 3Gb 5
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 2 (B)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 2. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 4, 3rd String (G) at fret 4, 2nd String (B) at fret 4. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Barre fret 7. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 9, 4th String (D) at fret 9, 3rd String (G) at fret 8.
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 2 to 4 |
| Barre | fret 2, from the 5th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 4 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 2, only the barre sounds the 5th and 1st strings.
Listen: Cb → B · B7 · F#
Cb sits in the scale of 7 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Cb chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the Cb chord is its lowest pitch: B. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 2.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The Cb chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 formula (Major Triad). Its constituent pitches are Cb, Eb, Gb.
To prevent fret buzz on the Cb barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
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