C♯m7♭5 chord on piano

The C sharp half-diminished 7 chord (C♯m7♭5) is C♯, E, G and B. Here it is on the keyboard, with the fingers to use, every inversion and how it fits into keys.

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half-diminished seventh chord

C♯, E, G and B

C♯m7♭5 chord on a piano keyboard: C♯, E, G and B, starting from middle C upwardC4EGBC5C♯
Root
C♯
Minor third
E
Diminished fifth
G
Minor seventh
B

Formula

1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 (3, 6, 10 half steps above C♯)

Fingering in root position

C♯m7♭5 root position: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesC♯EGB
Right hand1235
Left hand5321

C♯m7♭5 inversions

C♯m7♭5 has 3 inversions. Each one keeps the same notes and puts a different one at the bottom, so your hand can stay close to the chord before or after it.

C♯m7♭5

Root position

C♯m7♭5, root position, on the piano: C♯, E, G and B from the bottom upC4EGBC5C♯
C♯m7♭5 root position: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesC♯EGB
Right hand1235
Left hand5321

C♯m7♭5/E

First inversion

C♯m7♭5, first inversion, on the piano: E, G, B and C♯ from the bottom upC4EGBC5C♯
C♯m7♭5/E first inversion: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesEGBC♯
Right hand1245
Left hand5321

C♯m7♭5/G

Second inversion

C♯m7♭5, second inversion, on the piano: G, B, C♯ and E from the bottom upC4GBC5EC♯
C♯m7♭5/G second inversion: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesGBC♯E
Right hand1235
Left hand5321

C♯m7♭5/B

Third inversion

C♯m7♭5, third inversion, on the piano: B, C♯, E and G from the bottom upC4BC5EGC♯
C♯m7♭5/B third inversion: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesBC♯EG
Right hand1235
Left hand5421

Keys with C♯m7♭5

Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. C♯m7♭5 appears as:

  • viiø7 in D major
  • iiø7 in B minor

How C♯m7♭5 is built

C♯ is the root, E the minor third, G the diminished fifth and B the minor seventh.

A half-diminished seventh, written m7♭5 or ø7, is a diminished chord plus the minor seventh, 10 half steps above the root. It is the chord on the seventh note of a major key and on the second note of a minor key.

Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of C♯m7♭5 are C, E, G, B. That is why it is spelled C♯, E, G and B.

Find C♯m7♭5 yourself

Without looking at the diagrams, find the chord on the keyboard, then each inversion. Saying the notes out loud as you tap them helps them stick.

Step 1 of 4

Tap the notes of C♯m7♭5, in any octave and any order.

CDEFGABCDEFGAB

Practice C♯m7♭5 in real music

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Questions

What notes are in the C♯m7♭5 chord?

C♯m7♭5 has four notes: C♯, E, G and B. C♯ is the root, E the minor third, G the diminished fifth and B the minor seventh.

What fingers do you use for C♯m7♭5 on piano?

In root position, play C♯, E, G and B with right hand fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 (thumb, index finger, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3, 2 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.

What are the inversions of C♯m7♭5?

C♯m7♭5 has 3 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (C♯m7♭5/E): E, G, B and C♯. Second inversion (C♯m7♭5/G): G, B, C♯ and E. Third inversion (C♯m7♭5/B): B, C♯, E and G.

What key is C♯m7♭5 in?

C♯m7♭5 appears as viiø7 in D major and iiø7 in B minor.

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