C half-diminished chord (Cm7♭5)

C half-diminished is a 4-note half-diminished chord: C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭. It sounds tense but soft, with a dark color. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesC – E♭ – G♭ – B♭
Formula1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7
SymbolCm7♭5 · Cø · Cm7b5
TypeHalf-diminished chord

C half-diminished on guitar

Fret 3 (A shape)
Fret 8 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (fret 3)

Finger 1 (index) on fret 3 of string 5 (A).
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 4 of the 4th string (D).
Place finger 2 (middle) at fret 3 on string 3 (G).
Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 4 of string 2 (B).
Do not play the 6th and 1st strings: strum from the 5th string.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (C). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

C half-diminished on piano

In root position, play C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭ from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (C) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – C
Second inversion: G♭ – B♭ – C – E♭
Third inversion: B♭ – C – E♭ – G♭

C half-diminished on ukulele

From fret 2
From fret 5

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of C half-diminished

C1 · root
E♭♭3 · minor third
G♭♭5 · diminished fifth
B♭♭7 · minor seventh

It's the second degree in minor keys (iiø–V7–i), very common in boleros, tango and jazz.

Progressions with Cm7♭5

ii–V–i in minor: iiø7 – V7 – i

The minor cadence of boleros, tangos and jazz, in B♭ natural minor.

Which keys contain C half-diminished?

Cm7♭5 belongs to 2 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
D♭ major	viiø7
B♭ natural minor	iiø7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C half-diminished chord?

C half-diminished (Cm7♭5) has 4 notes: C (root), E♭ (minor third), G♭ (diminished fifth), B♭ (minor seventh).

How do you play C half-diminished on guitar?

The most common shape starts at fret 3: x 3 4 3 4 x (from the 6th to the 1st string). Place finger 1 (index finger) on fret 3 of the 5th string (A). Place finger 3 (ring finger) on fret 4 of the 4th string (D). Place finger 2 (middle finger) on fret 3 of the 3rd string (G). Place finger 4 (pinky) on fret 4 of the 2nd string (B). Don't play the 6th or 1st strings: strum from the 5th.

How do you write C half-diminished in chord notation?

It's written Cm7♭5; you'll also see Cø or Cm7b5. Chord symbols use letter names for notes: C, D, E, F, G, A and B.

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