Electric guitar · Half-diminished chord

C#m7b5 Half-diminished

Key: D Major
Easy

C#m7b5 is the C# half-diminished chord on electric guitar, made of the notes C# · E · G · B.

Position 1 of 3Main

Notes

C#
E
G
B

Structure

1
♭3
♭5
♭7

Sound: Half-diminished (m7♭5); Dark, jazzy
Harmonic function: Dominant; Creates tension that resolves to the tonic.

Harmonic field of D Major

Degree	Chord	Function
I	D	Tonic
ii	Em	Subdominant
iii	F#m	Tonic relative
IV	G	Subdominant
V	A	Dominant
vi	Bm	Tonic relative
vii°	C#dim	Dominant

How to play

1Place your index finger on fret 4 of string 5.
2Place your middle finger on fret 4 of string 3.
3Place your ring finger on fret 5 of string 4.
4Place your pinky on fret 5 of string 2.
5Don't play strings 6, 1.
6Strum from string 5 down.