Useful voicings for your favorite m7b5 chord

[nonreglA]

The title of this thread is of course tongue in cheek. Cm7b5 is one of those chords that is rarely played, if at all, by most guitarists. Of course the more obscure they are the more I love chords like Cm7b5. I actually play several tunes in the key of Dbmaj where Cm7b5 comes into play quite a bit. I digress.

 

If you take the trouble to transpose this stuff presented here into other keys like E, A, D, G (the guitar keys), I think you'll find it quite useful. Remember that Cm7b5 can be thought of as a sub for Ebm6 and Ab7 too.

 

So there you have it. Transpose this stuff into the key of E for instance (everyone's favorite SRV key) and you have a lot of neat voicings for a B7 chord. Plus don't forget that anytime a B7 is called for you can also play the more obscure Gbm6 and Ebm7b5 chords in its place as well. (Don't want to make thing too easy now do we.)

 

Cm7b5 = C-Eb-Gb-Bb

E) - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gb

B) x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - C

G) - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - Bb

D) x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Eb

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

E) - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gb

B) - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - Eb

G) - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - Bb

D) - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - Gb

A) - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - C

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

(Like the innards of an Ab7 chord)

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

B) - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - Eb

G) - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - C

D) - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - Gb

A) - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - Eb

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

E) - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - Bb

B) - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - Eb

G) - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - C

D) - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - Gb

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

E) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - C

B) - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - Gb

G) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - Eb

D) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - Bb

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

(Like the innards of a Bbm9 chord)

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

B) - - - - - - - - - - - - x - - C

G) - - - - - - - - - - x - - - - Gb

D) - - - - - - - - - - - - x - - Eb

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - x - - Bb

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

[Poparad]

This is my favorite as it's the most comfortable to play:

 

-11- Eb

-11- Bb

-11- Gb

-10- C

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[nonreglA]

Good one Poparad. Don't know how I missed that one. I use it all the time.

 

Cm7b5

 

E) - - - - - - - - - - x - - - - Eb

B) - - - - - - - - - - x - - - - Bb

G) - - - - - - - - - - x - - - - Gb

D) - - - - - - - - - x - - - - - C

A) - - - - - - - - x - - - - - - Gb

E) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - C

[Factor]

I guess it depends a lot on the situation. When playing with a band, using the top strings could really make it pull through in the mix.

 

In addition to Poparad's, I happen to like this one alot. Versatile, as it is also a rootless Ab9

 

--6-- Bb

--4-- Eb

--5-- C

--4-- Gb

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EDIT:

*Face-slap*

Sorry, didn't see the one posted previously.

[nonreglA]

Factor, that's a good one. I think it's in my initial post as the fourth one down from the top. Hope I got it right.

[nonreglA]

Here's a useful voicing for a Cm7b5-F7b9 combination:

 

Cm7b5

E) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - C

B) - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - Gb

G) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - Eb

D) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - Bb

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

F7b9

E) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - C

B) - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - Gb

G) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - Eb

D) - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - A

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

Notice that only one note changes, the Bb to an A on the bottom string.

[Poparad]

Here's another great way to get a lot of mileage out of m7b5 voicings:

 

On a minor ii-V progression, such as Gm7b5 - C7b9 - Fm7, you can play the same voicing 'shape' over the ii and the V.

 

On the Gm7b5, take this voicing for example:

 

-6- Bb

-6- F

-6- Db

-5- G

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And then move it up a minor 3rd for the C7b9 voicing:

 

-9- Db

-9- Ab

-9- E

-8- Bb

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You can do this with the other three inversions of this voicing:

 

(Gm7b5)

 

 

 
 
 
 
Using the m7b5 voicing on the m7b5 chord is pretty obvious.  Here's why moving it up a minor third works on the dom7b9:
 
The harmony implied by this is the altered scale, which is the 7th mode of melodic minor.  In the case of C7b9 that's Db melodic minor, or C altered.  This is also sometimes called C super locrian or C diminished whole tone.
 
Now, if you were to write out a harmonized scale, which is building a chord on all 7 degrees of the scale, you would find that the 6th degree (Bb) is a m7b5 chord.  That's why moving the Gm7b5 chord up a third to Bbm7b5 works.
 
In fact, to make a broader statement about melodic minor, and any scale for that matter, you can really play any of the 7 chords in that scale over any harmony from that scale.  For example, on C7altered, you can play Dbm-maj7, Ebm7, Emaj7(#5), Gb7, Ab7, or Bbm7b5.  (Which are the other 6 chords from the Db melodic minor scale).
 
Let's take a simpler example: Dm7.  Assuming that Dm7 is D dorian, or ii in C major, you could play any of the 6 other chord from the Cmajor scale as voicings for Dm7.  Some will sound more ambiguous than others, but in varying degrees, they all work.