C#mmaj7b5

C#mMaj7b5 is C#, E, G and B#, a minor major seven flat five. The shape this page opens on is written x42010, lowest string first.

Also written C#mM7b5 or C#m(maj7)b5. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for C#mMaj7b5 on the guitar, and 28 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x42010, x4x553, x4555x, 9-10-x-9-8-8, 9-10-10-9-x-9, x-x-11-12-13-12.

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. C#mMaj7b5 has x4x553, 9-x-10-9-8-x, 9-7-10-12-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. C#mMaj7b5 has x3202x, x4555x, x-x-10-9-8-9, 9-10-10-9-x-x, x-x-11-12-13-12, 3425xx, xx2523, xx5658.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. C#mMaj7b5 has 3x252x, x3x020, x4x553, 8x565x, x7x688, 9-x-10-9-8-x, x-10-x-9-13-9, 12-x-11-12-13-x.

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. C#mMaj7b5 has 002523, 0055xx, 0340xx.

Tensions. A shell of C#mMaj7b5, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (F#) and the b13 (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.