Which notes are in the C7♭5 chord?

C7♭5 contains the notes C, E, F# and A#. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 3 – ♭5 – ♭7.

How many ways can you play C7♭5?

Minory lists a single guitar fingering for C7♭5.

Is the C7♭5 chord hard to play?

C7♭5 requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

C dominant 7th flat 5 · Guitar

C7♭5 Chord on Guitar

The C7♭5 chord (C dominant 7th flat 5) is built from the notes C, E, F# and A#. The guitar fingering for it is shown below.

Chord diagrams

C7♭5starts at fret 1

Fingering

string 6 (E): fret 2 — middle finger
string 5 (A): muted
string 4 (D): fret 2 — ring finger
string 3 (G): fret 3 — little finger
string 2 (B): fret 1 — index finger
string 1 (E): muted

Notes in this chord

C
E
F♯
A♯

Degrees: 1 – 3 – ♭5 – ♭7

How to play

C7♭5 can be played with open strings on guitar, which makes it an accessible shape for beginners. Strings marked ○ ring open, while strings marked ✕ are muted.

Theory behind the chord

The 7♭5 chord lowers the fifth of a dominant seventh, thinning out the chord and sharpening its tension. It shows up in jazz and in altered dominant sounds heading towards a resolution. On C7♭5 this structure sits on the root C, so the degrees 1 – 3 – ♭5 – ♭7 map onto C, E, F# and A#.

Frequently asked questions

Which notes are in the C7♭5 chord?: C7♭5 contains the notes C, E, F# and A#. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 3 – ♭5 – ♭7.
How many ways can you play C7♭5?: Minory lists a single guitar fingering for C7♭5.
Is the C7♭5 chord hard to play?: C7♭5 requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

Practise C7♭5 on your phone

Minory bundles the full chord library with a tuner, metronome and repertoire notebook — and it all works offline.