C#m7b5 / Dbm7b5 Guitar Chord
C#m7b5 (also written Dbm7b5) is a minor seven flat five (half-diminished) chord. It is a minor chord with a flattened fifth plus a minor seventh, and in minor keys it often comes just before a dominant seventh chord. Its notes are C#, E, G and B. Below are 2 ways to play it, each with a chord diagram, tab and finger numbers.
Notes in C#m7b5 / Dbm7b5
C#m7b5 and Dbm7b5 are two names for the same chord. The notes below are spelled as C#m7b5.
| Note | Degree | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| C# | R | Root |
| E | b3 | Minor 3rd |
| G | b5 | Diminished 5th |
| B | b7 | Minor 7th |
Formula: 1–b3–b5–b7
C#m7b5 / Dbm7b5 chord shapes
Finger numbers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. In the tab, x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. In the diagrams the top line is the 1st (thinnest) string and the nut is on the left.
A-shape 4fr
Easiest- Tab (6th → 1st string)
- x 4 5 4 5 x
- Fingers
- – 2 3 1 4 –
E-shape 9fr
- Tab (6th → 1st string)
- 9 10 9 9 x x
- Fingers
- 1 2 1 1 – –
How to play C#m7b5 / Dbm7b5 (easiest shape)
Shape: A-shape 4fr, tab x 4 5 4 5 x (6th to 1st string).
- 1Put your index finger (1) on the 3rd string at the 4th fret.
- 2Put your middle finger (2) on the 5th string at the 4th fret.
- 3Put your ring finger (3) on the 4th string at the 5th fret.
- 4Put your pinky (4) on the 2nd string at the 5th fret.
- 5Don't play the 6th string.
- 6Keep the 1st string quiet: stop your strum at the 2nd string, or let a fretting finger touch it lightly.
- 7Strum down from the 5th string to the 2nd string.
C#m7b5 / Dbm7b5: common questions
- What notes are in the C#m7b5 / Dbm7b5 chord?
- C#m7b5 and Dbm7b5 are two names for the same chord. Spelled as C#m7b5, it has 4 notes: C#, E, G and B. Counted from the root, that is 1–b3–b5–b7.
- Is there an easier way to play C#m7b5 / Dbm7b5?
- The easiest shape on this page is "A-shape 4fr" (x 4 5 4 5 x). It needs no barre: each finger presses just one string.
Related chords
Other C#/Db chords
Same chord type, other roots
More guitar tools
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