Explore the C 7b5 Guitar Chord

The C7b5 chord, or C seventh flat five, is spelled C, E, Gb and Bb. It is a C7 in which the perfect fifth (G) has been lowered to Gb, which turns the gap between root and fifth into a tritone.

Three voicings are listed, one a barre, and the lowest is at the 3rd fret. C7b5 holds the same four pitches as F#7b5, because the two roots sit a tritone apart. The C whole-tone scale contains every chord tone, so it fits phrases over this tense sound.

Press play on the player to hear it strummed and as an arpeggio.

C 7th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as C7b5, C7(b5) or C7-5.

Notes that compose the C 7b5 chord:

C E Gb Bb

Chord Structure:

Formula: 1 3 b5 b7

C 7b5 Chord Interactive Fretboard

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C 7b5 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the A and G strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the B string

Position 2 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the B string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the high E string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the G string

Position 3 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 8 of the low E string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the A string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the G string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 7b5 | D 7b5 | E 7b5 | F 7b5 | G 7b5 | A 7b5 | B 7b5 | C#7b5 | D#7b5 | F#7b5 | G#7b5 | A#7b5 | Ab7b5 | Bb7b5 | Db7b5 | Eb7b5 | Gb7b5

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

What notes are in C7b5?

C7b5 contains C, E, Gb and Bb. It is C7 with the fifth lowered from G to Gb.

Which scale fits C seventh flat five?

The C whole-tone scale is C, D, E, F#, G# and Bb. It contains all four chord pitches, with the chord's Gb written as F#.

What interval is the Gb in C7b5?

Gb is a diminished fifth over C, which makes a tritone with the root. It is the note that gives the chord its altered color.

How many C7b5 voicings are there?

There are 3 voicings, from fret 3 to fret 9. One is a barre voicing and none uses an open string.

How is C7b5 different from C7?

C7 has C, E, G and Bb. C7b5 replaces G with Gb, a semitone lower, and keeps the other three notes.