Chords
C Major flat fifth
C · E · Gb
C Major flat fifth (Cmajb5) is a major chord of 3 notes: C · E · Gb.
Also written CMb5
C Major flat fifth
C · E · Gb
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Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | C3 · E3 · Gb3 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
C Major flat fifth (Cmajb5) contains the notes C · E · Gb, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built
Inversions
An inversion of C Major flat fifth puts a chord tone other than C in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales C Major flat fifth belongs to.
In which keys
C Major flat fifth is diatonic to 3 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
Scales that contain it
C Major flat fifth fits inside these scales, each built on C.
- C Whole ToneC · D · E · F# · G# · A#
- C LydianC · D · E · F# · G · A · B
- C AlteredC · Db · D# · E · F# · Ab · Bb
- C Lydian DominantC · D · E · F# · G · A · Bb
- C Half-Whole DiminishedC · Db · Eb · E · F# · G · A · Bb
- C Neapolitan Major PentatonicC · E · F · Gb · Bb
- C Lydian PentatonicC · E · F# · G · B
- C Whole Tone PentatonicC · E · Gb · Ab · Bb
Understanding the C Major flat fifth chord
Names and symbols
Cmajb5 is the chord symbol for C Major flat fifth; it is also written CMb5.
Common questions
- What notes are in the C Major flat fifth chord?
- The C Major flat fifth chord contains the notes C · E · Gb: the root C with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5d stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally C, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the C Major flat fifth chord?
- Measured from C, the C Major flat fifth chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5d. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the C Major flat fifth chord?
- On guitar the most common C Major flat fifth shape is x32552, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play C3 · E3 · Gb3 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.