Package leaflet · Information for the musician · Chord
C Seventh Flat Five Chord (C7♭5)
Edgy, symmetrical and jazzy. A dominant seventh with a lowered fifth, containing two tritones and sounding modern and unstable.
- C7♭5
- 4 notes
- x34310
1Composition: what it contains
C – E – G♭ – B♭
- Symbol
- C7♭5
- Also written
- C7♭5, C7(♭5), C7-5
- Formula
- 1 3 ♭5 ♭7
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | unison | 0 |
| 3 | E | major third | 4 |
| ♭5 | G♭ | diminished fifth | 6 |
| ♭7 | B♭ | minor seventh | 10 |
2Appearance: diagrams and sound
On the guitar
x34310open position
x32352fret 2
8-9-8-9-11-8fret 8
x-x-10-11-11-12fret 10On the ukulele
3423fret 2
5667fret 5
9-10-8-9fret 8On the piano
On the staff
On bass and as an arpeggio
3Indications: what it is used for
Used as an altered V7 in jazz, bebop and Latin jazz, and as a dominant built on the flat second in a tritone substitution (♭II7♭5–I), where its symmetrical tritones make it identical to the 7♭5 chord a tritone away. It also appears in French augmented-sixth harmony in classical music. The whole-tone scale, Lydian dominant (as ♯11) or the altered scale fits over it, depending on the other tensions. Because its two tritones are symmetrical, it sounds equally convincing from either root.
4Dosage: how to practise it
On guitar, learn the shapes rooted on the sixth string and fifth string, and notice that moving the shape six frets gives the same notes. On piano, play 1-3-♭5-♭7 in all inversions and practise ii7–V7♭5–Imaj7 and ii7–♭II7♭5–Imaj7 at 70–120 BPM. Arpeggiate 1-3-♭5-♭7. Five minutes daily, comparing with 7 and 7♯11. Improvise over it with the whole-tone scale and then with Lydian dominant. Practise tritone substitutions in all keys, playing the ♭5 shape and the substitute chord side by side so you hear that they are the same notes.
5Warnings and common mistakes
Do not confuse 7♭5 with m7♭5: the third is major here. Do not play the natural fifth together with the flat fifth. In a context with a natural fifth in the melody, write 7♯11 rather than 7♭5. Because of its symmetry, beginners mislabel its root; check the bass. The symbol '7-5' is ambiguous and can be misread; prefer 7♭5. On piano, avoid doubling the flat fifth.
6Interactions with chords, scales and keys
Inversions
- Inversion 1 · C7♭5/E · E – G♭ – B♭ – C
- Inversion 2 · C7♭5/G♭ · G♭ – B♭ – C – E
- Inversion 3 · C7♭5/B♭ · B♭ – C – E – G♭
Scales to play over C7♭5
7Other presentations available
The same chord from every note
C♯7♭5 D7♭5 E♭7♭5 E7♭5 F7♭5 F♯7♭5 G7♭5 A♭7♭5 A7♭5 B♭7♭5 B7♭5
Other chords on C
C Cm Cdim Caug Csus2 Csus4 C5 C6 Cm6 C7 Cmaj7 Cm7 Cm7♭5 Cdim7 Cm(maj7) C7sus4 Cadd9 Cm(add9) C6/9 C9 Cmaj9 Cm9 C11 Cm11 C13 C7♭9 C7♯9 C7♯5
Read this leaflet carefully before playing. Keep it near your instrument. Free to use, print and share for personal and educational use.