Build the sound
Play C♯ – E – G – B individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · C♯m7♭5 · Guitar
C♯m7♭5 voicings on guitar
C♯m7♭5 is spelled C♯ – E – G – B (1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7) — the iiø chord of a minor ii–V–i. Here are 5 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell, rootless a, rootless b. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
5 ways to play C♯m7♭5.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Drop 2
G · C♯ · E · BTake the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings E-A-D-G, frets 3-4-2-4.
Drop 3
E · C♯ · G · BDrop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings A-G-B-e, frets 7-6-8-7 (position 4).
Shell (1–7–3)
C♯ · B · ERoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings A-G-B, frets 4-4-5 (position 1).
Rootless A (3–5–7–9)
E · G · B · D♯Bill Evans-style left-hand voicing: the third on the bottom, the ninth on top, the bass player supplies the root. Strings A-D-G-B, frets 7-5-4-4 (position 3).
Rootless B (7–9–3–5)
B · D♯ · E · GThe companion rootless voicing with the seventh on the bottom. Alternate A and B so the top voice moves by step through a ii–V–I. Strings A-D-B-e, frets 2-1-5-3 (position 1).
Your next 10 minutes
Make C♯ Half-diminished (m7♭5) part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of C♯m7♭5. Notice which note is highest in each. Repeat the two shapes with the smallest comfortable hand movement, leaving a beat of silence between them.
Comp with space
Play C♯m7♭5 on beats 2 and 4 at 60 bpm for four bars, then on the “and” of beat 2 for four bars. Keep the same notes while changing the rhythm. Mute unused strings and test each fretted note for buzz.
Listen for this: The chord tones are C♯, E, G, B. the iiø chord of a minor ii–V–i. A fuller voicing is not automatically better: leave room for the melody and bass.
Understand the sound
C♯m7♭5: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives C♯m7♭5 its identity?
Compare the flat fifth with a perfect fifth while keeping the other notes fixed. That one change turns a minor seventh into a half-diminished chord.
Here the third is E, and degree ♭7 is B. Play C♯ in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Choose a useful voicing
Start with the smallest displayed shape you can play cleanly. Move its highest note into a comfortable register and listen for a clear melody above the chord.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with C♯ on string 5, fret 4. The next note E is on string 5, fret 7. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: C♯ · E · G · B. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
Behind the voicings
Every C♯m7♭5 chord tone on the fretboard.
Reference
C♯m7♭5 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | unison |
| ♭3 | E | minor 3rd |
| ♭5 | G | diminished 5th |
| ♭7 | B | minor 7th |
Arpeggio: C♯m7♭5 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: C♯ Locrian.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp C♯m7♭5 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
C♯m7♭5 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in C♯m7♭5?
C♯, E, G, B — chord tones 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7. Rootless voicings add the 9th, D♯, and leave the root to the bass.
What is the easiest C♯m7♭5 voicing on guitar?
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings A, G, B: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like C♯m7♭5.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing C♯ E G B and drop the second note from the top an octave: G – C♯ – E – B. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does C♯m7♭5 appear?
C♯m7♭5 is the iiø chord of a minor ii–V–i. Its character is dark, unstable, leading.
Keep going
Half-diminished (m7♭5) voicings in every other key.
Same chord on piano · Half-diminished (m7♭5) hub.
Other chords from C♯