Learn › C Sharp Half-Diminished Chord on Piano (C#m7b5)
New Released in April 2026
C Sharp Half-Diminished Chord on Piano (C#m7b5)
The C sharp half-diminished 7th chord (C#m7b5) on the piano has four notes: C#, E, G, B. It is a C#dim triad with a minor seventh, B, on top. Formula 1 b3 b5 b7. Below: the four positions, fingering, a three-note voicing and where C#m7b5 goes next.
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C#m7b5 fingering, both hands
| Hand | C# | E | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 (thumb) | 2 | 3 | 5 (little) |
| Left hand | 5 (little) | 3 | 2 | 1 (thumb) |
Play C#m7b5 broken first, C#, E, G, B one by one, then together: a wrong key stands out.
The light version of C#m7b5
Root, flat fifth, seventh: C# G B. It already sounds like C#m7b5 and moves smoothly to the next chord.
How to practise C#m7b5
- Play C#, E, G, B slowly in root position and say "C#m7b5" each time.
- Walk up through the inversions (E G B C#, G B C# E, B C# E G) without lifting the whole hand.
- Loop C#m7b5 → F#7 → Bm until the change into and out of C#m7b5 is clean.
- Then mix it with chords you already know, in an order you do not choose: that is where it sticks.
A few minutes every day on C#m7b5 beat one long session a week.
C#m7b5 compared with the other 7th chords on C#
Same root, same fifth: watch the third and the seventh.
C sharp half-diminished 7th chord inversions
In the 3rd inversion B is the lowest note: the seventh in the bass.
Root position: C# E G B
1st inversion: E G B C#
2nd inversion: G B C# E
3rd inversion: B C# E G
Practise C#m7b5 by playing
Knowing C#m7b5 on paper is step one. ChordRunner makes you find it fast, mixed with other chords. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
Play the demoCommon questions
What notes are in the C sharp half-diminished 7th chord?
C#m7b5 has four notes: C#, E, G, B. Root, minor third, diminished fifth and minor seventh (formula 1 b3 b5 b7).
What are the inversions of C#m7b5?
Root position C# E G B, 1st inversion E G B C#, 2nd inversion G B C# E and 3rd inversion B C# E G. Every position is still C#m7b5.
Where does C#m7b5 go?
C#m7b5 is the iiø7 of B minor and the viiø7 of D major. In a minor ii-V-i it opens the cadence: C#m7b5 → F#7 → Bm.
Can I practise C#m7b5 with a MIDI keyboard?
Yes. In ChordRunner a USB MIDI keyboard is detected automatically, and an acoustic piano works through the microphone. C#m7b5 counts in any inversion, as long as C#, E, G, B sound together.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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