C♭ Half Diminished
Hear the C♭ Half Diminished chord played for you.
C♭ø7
C♭ – E♭ – G♭ – B♭
Formula:R-m3-d5-m7
Intervals:P1-m3-d5-m7
Scale Degrees:1-b3-b5-b7
Introduction
The C♭ Half Diminished chord is a four-note chord made up of C♭, E♭, G♭, and B♭. It is built from a root, minor third, diminished fifth, and minor seventh.
The Cb Half Diminished piano chord (Cbm7b5) consists of the notes Cb, Eb, Gb, Bb. It is a diminished triad with an added minor 7th, giving it a dark, moody, and tense character commonly used in jazz and minor key progressions. Formula: R-m3-d5-m7 | Scale degrees: 1-b3-b5-b7.
Notes
C♭ Half Diminished Inversions
| Position | Notes |
|---|---|
| Root Position | Cb – Eb – Gb – Bb |
| 1st Inversion | Gb – Bb – Cb – Eb |
| 2nd Inversion | Bb – Cb – Eb – Gb |
| 3rd Inversion | Cb – Eb – Gb – Bb |
Key Signature
The key of Cb Half Diminished has 7 flats.
B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭
Order of flats
Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.
B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of Cb Major
These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the Cb major scale:
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
I — B Major (major)
Theory: Intervals
Formula: R-m3-d5-m7
Intervals: P1-m3-d5-m7
The C♭ Half Diminished is built by stacking intervals from the root note. The formula R-m3-d5-m7 describes the scale degrees used. The intervals P1-m3-d5-m7 show the distance between each note in the chord.
C♭ Half Diminished — Frequently Asked Questions
What notes are in the Cb Half Diminished chord?
Cbm7b5 is enharmonic equivalent of Bm7b5. Same notes.
How does Cbm7b5 differ from Cbdim7?
Minor seventh vs diminished seventh.
How is Cbm7b5 used?
Musicians use Bm7b5 in practice.
What songs use Half Diminished?
Sound identical regardless of spelling.
How does Cbm7b5 differ from Cbm7?
Flatted fifth.
Is Cbm7b5 the same as Ebbm6?
Same notes enharmonically.
Practice Tips
- Cbm7b5 and Bm7b5 enharmonic.
- Translate to Bm7b5 (all white keys).
- Keyboard notes identical.
- Jazz vocabulary.
- Understanding both builds fluency.
- Compare with Cbdim7.
Related Tools
Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.