Cm7b5 Guitar Chord

Cm7b5 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.

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Shape 1/2

Chord shapes:(2 positions)

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Fret 3

Arpeggio for this shape

P - m - i - m · Alternating Folk (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)

The 1st string is silent. The thumb plays the 5th and the fingers stay on the 3rd and 2nd. All 6 arpeggios

Alternating picking with steady pulse.

Speed:

What sets Cm7b5 apart

Cm7b5 is built from C, Eb, Gb and Bb. C is the root, Eb the minor third, Gb the flat fifth and Bb the minor seventh. Said aloud, its notes are C, E flat, G flat and B flat.

String by string, low to high, it plays C, Gb, Bb and Eb. It runs from C on string 5 up to Eb on string 2.

Cm7b5 uses no barre and no open strings, so you can slide the shape up the neck without changing fingers. Strings 6 and 1 stay silent. Your hand covers two frets, from 3 to 4. There is one more position, starting at fret 7.

Change only string 3 in Cm7b5 and you have Cdim7. Inside Cm7b5 sits a complete Ebm chord, made of Eb, Gb and Bb. Cm shares two positions with this shape.

Cm7b5 shows up in two keys. In Db major it is the viiø7 and in Bb minor the iiø7.

Chord Progressions

Explore recommended harmonic circles on CifraLab:

Recommended practice sequences

01C C - Am - Dm - G7 02G G - Em - Am - D7 03D D - Bm - Em - A7 04A A - F#m - Bm - E7

Music Theory & Formula

Component notes and harmonic structure (Cm7b5)

Formula: Half-Diminished (1 - ♭3 - ♭5 - ♭7)

Constituent chord intervals:

C 1Eb ♭3Gb ♭5Bb ♭7

Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 3 (C)

String Control (Muted & Active)4 / 6 • 2 X Muted

2 Fretboard Positions

Other fretboard positions for Cm7b5:

Select each shape in the diagram above to view and listen to it

Fret 3

Standard Position

4 / 6 stringsRoot: 5th String (A)

String Control (Muted & Active):

6th String (Low E)

×Muted

Do not play

Root

5th String (A)

Fret 3Finger 1

CDegree 1

4th String (D)

Fret 4Finger 3

3rd String (G)

Fret 3Finger 2

2nd String (B)

Fret 4Finger 4

1st String (High E)

×Muted

Do not play

Placement tip: Press: 5th String (A) at fret 3 with your Index finger, 4th String (D) at fret 4 with your Ring finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 3 with your Middle finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 4 with your Pinky finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E), 1st String (High E).

Barre 8

Inversion

4 / 6 stringsRoot: 6th String (Low E)

String Control (Muted & Active):

Root

6th String (Low E)

Fret 8Finger 2

CDegree 1

5th String (A)

×Muted

Do not play

4th String (D)

Fret 8Finger 3

3rd String (G)

Fret 8Finger 4

2nd String (B)

Fret 7Finger 1

1st String (High E)

×Muted

Do not play

Placement tip: Press: 6th String (Low E) at fret 8 with your Middle finger, 4th String (D) at fret 8 with your Ring finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 8 with your Pinky finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 7 with your Index finger. Don't play: 5th String (A), 1st String (High E).

Biomechanics & Posture

Ergonomic tips to play without tension or fatigue (Cm7b5)

Standard Position

The shape in numbers

Item	In this chord
Frets	3 to 4
Fretting fingers	4
Open	none
Muted	6th and 1st

What every chord shares is in the fingering reading.

Transitions & Pivot Fingers

Most common chord transitions from Cm7b5

Listen: Cm7b5 → Cm · Bb · Fm

Cm7b5
Cm
Cm7b5
Bb
Cm7b5
Fm

Cm7b5 → Cm01

Pivot / Anchor Finger:2 shared positions

Stay in place

string 5, fret 3
string 2, fret 4

Move

string 4, fret 5
string 3, fret 5
string 1, fret 3

Cm7b5 → Bb02

Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 shared position

Stay in place

string 3, fret 3

Move

string 5, fret 1
string 4, fret 3
string 2, fret 3
string 1, fret 1

Cm7b5 → Fm03

Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 shared position

Stay in place

string 5, fret 3

Move

string 6, fret 1
string 4, fret 3
string 3, fret 1
string 2, fret 1
string 1, fret 1

Cm7b5 in every key

Cm7b5 sits in the scale of 2 keys.

Main shape at a glance

Difficulty: 3/5
Highest fret: 4
Frets the hand covers: 2
Barre: No
Strings that ring: 4/6
Fretting fingers: 4

Major keys

viiø7Db major

Minor keys

iiø7Bb minor

Cm7b5 on other instruments

PianoThe same notes on the keyboard.All togetherHear guitar, piano, bass and violin together.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about the chord (Cm7b5)

The questions that come up most when playing this chord

Which strings are played and which are muted in the Cm7b5 chord?

To play the Cm7b5 chord on guitar, only 4 strings are played, from string 5 to string 2. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.

What is the root bass note of the Cm7b5 chord and on which string is it located?

The primary bass note of the Cm7b5 chord is its root note: C. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 3.

When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.

What notes make up the Cm7b5 chord and what is its formula?

The Cm7b5 chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - ♭5 - ♭7 formula (Half-Diminished). Its constituent pitches are C, Eb, Gb, Bb.

How do you prevent the Cm7b5 chord from buzzing or sounding muted?

To prevent the Cm7b5 chord from buzzing or sounding muted, press the strings using the tips of your fingers at a strict 90-degree hammer angle. Position each finger immediately behind the fret wire with your thumb centered behind the neck.

Study sheet · High resolution

Official Cm7b5 chord diagram

Cm7b5 guitar chord diagram with fingering for fingers 1 to 4

Download HD sheet

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Other chords in the C family:

Chord C Chord C#m Chord Cm Chord C7 Chord Cmaj7 Chord C#m7 Chord Cm7 Chord Csus2