C♯m7♭5 chord
C♯m7♭5 is C♯, E, G and B: 1–♭3–♭5–♭7 built on C♯. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
x-4-2-0-0-0 · open · easy
- Notes
- C♯ · E · G · B
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
- First shape
- x-4-2-0-0-0
C♯m7♭5 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · C♯–E–G–B · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- C♯ · E · G · B
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
C♯m7♭5 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
0-1-0-2 · open · easy
- Notes
- C♯ · E · G · B
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
- First shape
- 0-1-0-2
Changing out of C♯m7♭5
Three changes cover most of what C♯m7♭5 does in songs.
- C♯m7♭5 → F♯7 (the iiø7 of a minor key heads to V7)
Guitar: C♯m7♭5 (x-4-2-0-0-0) to F♯7 (2-4-2-3-2-2): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 3rd fret, the ring finger comes down on the A string, 4th fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. C♯ and E carry over from one chord to the other.
Piano: C♯m7♭5 to F♯7: play F♯7 in 2nd inversion (C♯–E–F♯–A♯) and C♯ and E stay under the same fingers, while G moves down to F♯ and B down to A♯. F♯7 - C♯m7♭5 → Dmaj7 (I in D major)
Guitar: C♯m7♭5 (x-4-2-0-0-0) to Dmaj7 (x-x-0-2-2-2): the index finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the middle finger goes to the B string, 2nd fret, the ring finger comes down on the high E string, 2nd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share C♯, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: C♯m7♭5 to Dmaj7: play Dmaj7 in 3rd inversion (C♯–D–F♯–A) and C♯ stays under the same finger, while E moves down to D, G down to F♯ and B down to A. Dmaj7 - C♯m7♭5 → F♯m7 (iii in D major)
Guitar: C♯m7♭5 (x-4-2-0-0-0) to F♯m7 (2-4-2-2-2-2): your middle finger stays put, the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret. Very little moves, so this change comes fast. The two chords share C♯ and E, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: C♯m7♭5 to F♯m7: play F♯m7 in 2nd inversion (C♯–E–F♯–A) and C♯ and E stay under the same fingers, while G moves down to F♯ and B down to A. F♯m7
How C♯m7♭5 is built
C♯m7♭5 is a half-diminished chord (minor seventh flat five). It is the natural ii chord of a minor key: C♯m7♭5 is ii in B minor, where it leads to F♯7 and then home.
From C♯, go 3 half steps up to E, 3 half steps up to G then 4 half steps up to B. D♭m7♭5 is the other spelling of the same chord.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| C♯ | root | 0 | |
| E | minor third | 3 | |
| G | diminished fifth | 6 | |
| B | minor seventh | 10 |
Keys and progressions with C♯m7♭5
C♯m7♭5 belongs to 2 keys: viiø7 in D major and iiø7 in B minor.
Chords close to C♯m7♭5
- C♯m7♭5 and C♯m7 differ by one note: G in C♯m7♭5, G♯ in C♯m7. They share C♯, E and B. C♯m7
Chords that share most of their notes with C♯m7♭5: Em6, A9, C♯dim, Em, Cmaj7, C♯m7.
Every C♯ chord
C♯m7♭5 chord: questions
What notes are in the C♯m7♭5 chord?
C♯, E, G and B. C♯m7♭5 is built 1–♭3–♭5–♭7 from C♯: E is the minor third, G is the diminished fifth and B is the minor seventh.
How do you play C♯m7♭5 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-4-2-0-0-0 (open). All 4 guitar shapes.
How do you play C♯m7♭5 on piano?
Play C♯, E, G and B with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. C♯ sits on the black key between C and D. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play C♯m7♭5 on ukulele?
0-1-0-2 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is C♯m7♭5 in?
C♯m7♭5 belongs to 2 keys: viiø7 in D major and iiø7 in B minor.
What's the difference between C♯m7♭5 and C♯m7?
C♯m7♭5 and C♯m7 differ by one note: G in C♯m7♭5, G♯ in C♯m7. They share C♯, E and B.
All three instruments are drawn and played from C♯, E, G and B by the same engine. Updated September 2026.