Cmaj7b5

Cmaj7b5 is C, E, Gb and B, a major seven flat five. The shape this page opens on is written x32402, lowest string first.

Also written CM7b5, CΔ7b5 or Cmaj7(b5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for Cmaj7b5 on the guitar, and 31 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Cmaj7b5 belongs to E minor (the ♭VI) and G major (the IV).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x32402, x32452, x3445x, 879977, 8999x8, x-x-10-11-12-12.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Cmaj7b5 has x3x452, 8x997x, 8-7-9-11-x-x, x3247x, x-x-10-9-12-14.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Cmaj7b5 has 2324xx, x3445x, xx9978, 8999xx, x-x-10-11-12-12, xx2412, xx4557, 7745xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Cmaj7b5 has 2x241x, x3x452, 7x455x, x7x577, 8x997x, x-9-x-9-12-8, 12-x-10-11-12-x, x-14-x-11-13-12.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Cmaj7b5 has 070577, 004557, 000502, 200500, 00047x, 00450x.

Tensions. A shell of Cmaj7b5, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (D) and the 13 (A).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.