MetronoTuner
Cavaquinho Standard
en

Install it as an app

It opens full screen, like an app, and works offline.

  1. Tap Share in the browser bar.
  2. Scroll down and tap “Add to Home Screen” .
  3. Tap “Add”. The icon shows up on your home screen.

C sharp half-diminished (C#m7(b5)) chord on cavaquinho

Notes
C♯EGB
Formula
1♭3♭5♭7

How to play C#m7(b5) on cavaquinho

  1. Shape 1 · fret 2

    C#m7(b5) chord on cavaquinho, shape 1: from fret 2, notes C#, E, G, B

  2. Shape 2 · fret 8

    C#m7(b5) chord on cavaquinho, shape 2: from fret 8, notes C#, E, G, B

  3. Shape 3 · fret 5 · barre

    C#m7(b5) chord on cavaquinho, shape 3: barre at fret 5, notes C#, E, G, B

  4. Shape 4 · fret 2 · barre

    C#m7(b5) chord on cavaquinho, shape 4: barre at fret 2, notes C#, E, G, B

  5. Shape 5 · fret 8

    C#m7(b5) chord on cavaquinho, shape 5: from fret 8, notes C#, E, G, B

  6. Shape 6 · fret 5

    C#m7(b5) chord on cavaquinho, shape 6: from fret 5, notes C#, E, G, B

Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. x = do not play the string, o = open string. The coloured dot is the root (C sharp).

C#m7(b5) inversions on cavaquinho

On the cavaquinho a seventh chord fits whole on the 4 strings, one note on each, and that is how it accompanies in choro. Below are the positions with the root, the 3rd, the 5th and the 7th on the lowest string (in sixth chords the 6th does not go to the bass: that would rename the chord), whenever the position fits the hand.

  1. Root (C♯) in the bassroot position · C#m7(b5)

    C sharp half-diminished, C#m7(b5), 11-9-8-9C♯m7(♭5)84213C♯EGBmetronotuner.com

  2. 3rd (E) in the bass1st inversion · C#m7(b5)/E

    C sharp half-diminished, C#m7(b5)/E, 2425C♯m7(♭5)/E21324EBC♯Gmetronotuner.com

  3. 3rd (E) in the bass1st inversion · C#m7(b5)/E

    C sharp half-diminished, C#m7(b5)/E, 2605C♯m7(♭5)/E2143EC♯BGmetronotuner.com

  4. 5th (G) in the bass2nd inversion · C#m7(b5)/G

    C sharp half-diminished, C#m7(b5)/G, 5422C♯m7(♭5)/G2431GBC♯Emetronotuner.com

  5. 5th (G) in the bass2nd inversion · C#m7(b5)/G

    C sharp half-diminished, C#m7(b5)/G, 5659C♯m7(♭5)/G51324GC♯EBmetronotuner.com

  6. 7th (B) in the bass3rd inversion · C#m7(b5)/B

    C sharp half-diminished, C#m7(b5)/B, 9-9-8-11C♯m7(♭5)/B82314BEGC♯metronotuner.com

  7. 7th (B) in the bass3rd inversion · C#m7(b5)/B

    C sharp half-diminished, C#m7(b5)/B, 9655C♯m7(♭5)/B5421BC♯EGmetronotuner.com

About the half-diminished chord

The half-diminished chord sounds tense and unstable, but less harsh than the fully diminished one. It is the ii chord of a minor key (Bm7♭5 → E7 → Am) and the vii chord of a major key; common in jazz, bolero and romantic songs in minor keys.

Notes and intervals of C#m7(b5)

C#m7(b5) (C sharp half-diminished) is built from 4 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:

  • C♯ · 1 · root
  • E · ♭3 · minor third
  • G · ♭5 · diminished fifth
  • B · ♭7 · minor seventh

Other C sharp chords

Half-diminished: other roots

Frequently asked questions

How do you play the C#m7(b5) chord on cavaquinho?

C#m7(b5) (C sharp half-diminished) has 6 fingerings on this page, from easiest to hardest. Each diagram shows the fingers, the open strings (o) and the strings you do not play (x), and you can hear every shape.

What notes are in C#m7(b5)?

The notes of C#m7(b5) are C♯, E, G, B. The formula is 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7: root, minor third, diminished fifth, minor seventh.

What does C#m7(b5) mean?

C#m7(b5) is the chord symbol for C sharp half-diminished. The half-diminished chord sounds tense and unstable, but less harsh than the fully diminished one. It is the ii chord of a minor key (Bm7♭5 → E7 → Am) and the vii chord of a major key; common in jazz, bolero and romantic songs in minor keys.

Can I play C#m7(b5) on other instruments?

Yes. C#m7(b5) also has a page on guitar, on ukulele, with the fingerings for each instrument.

C#m7(b5) on other instruments

All cavaquinho chords