A flat five chord is composed using a root/1st, major 3rd and diminished 5th (or R/1-3-♭5) intervals played simultaneously. Generally written as C♭5, C♭5 or C♭5, it is good practice to simply use an uppercase C followed by a super scripted ♭5 to represent it in writing (ie: C♭5).
You will more often come across a ♭5 chord written as either a ♯11 (which is equivalent to a ♭5 an octave higher) or as a power chord with the 3rd omitted.
Flat five chord profile
| Intervals | root/1st, major 3rd, diminished 5th or R/1-3-♭5 |
|---|---|
| Stability | Dissonant, unresolved |
| Grouping class | Triad |
| Common names (examples in C) | C♭5, C♭5, C♭5 |
Chord shapes/voicings
Audio sample(s)
| D Flat five chord voicing #2 |
|---|
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