C6 m7b5

[Ken Pippus]

I’ve decided once again to “really learn” the “leaning neck.” Turns out these half-diminished chords are pretty useful. I found pedal 6 with the A root and pedal 5 with root on the 9th string (F#.) I have a bunch of other largely ornamental C6 levers hanging down. I’m sure there are some other forms I’m missing?

[Mike Polansky]

Herb Steiner has this excellent chord study for c6th that tackles lots of different chord forms with each pedal and lever:

https://www.herbsteinermusic.com/C6_essay.pdf

[Ken Pippus]

I use Herb’s guide all the time!
Not a lot of m7b5s.

[Fred Treece]

E9 is the m7b5 neck

I don't play C6, but I learned that pedal 6 trick once. Anywhere and any which way you can make a dom9th chord, take the root out and the 4 notes left are a m7b5 chord. The 3rd of the former dom9 is the root of the m7b5.

I believe Pedal 7+8 is an A9 chord on strings 8-7-6-5-4, so if you drop the root on string 8, you are left with C#m7b5 on 7-6-5-4, with string 7 as the root (C#).

Okay, I'll stop there before the weeds get any thicker.

[Michael Stover]

You're right in that there aren't many places where you can get all four of those notes. But this is where chord substitution comes in!

The first three notes of a m7b5 (1, b3, b5) are a diminished triad. Pedal 5+6 will get you all of these you need.
Example: Am7b5 : A C Eb

The last three notes (b3, b5, b7) spell a minor triad. If the bass is playing the root, this is a more effective way to spell m7b5 than the one above.
Example: Am7b5 : C Eb G (aka a C minor triad--play this over an A in the bass)

Hope this helps!

[Joseph Carlson]

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If you have knee levers that can raise your Cs and As a half step you can get min7b5 chords every 3 frets up and down the neck.

viewtopic.php?t=407073&start=25

[Bill McCloskey]

According to Neil Hanz book of C6 chords can be found in the following spots:

Note:
1. for some of these voicings, G is on top
2. Pedal 9 is our pedal 8
3. Pedal 8 is RKL that lowers String 3 from C to B

[Ken Pippus]

Thanks guys, lots to chew on there.

Joseph, that opens up a goldmine!

[Joseph Carlson]

If your steel is capable of split tuning you can get a few more with P7 and lowering either your C or A string a half step

[J D Sauser]

IF you know all your Dominant (7th or 7/9th chord) positions, you play them from the 3rd on up... the 3rd is the m7b5's root.

There are 4 basic positions, pretty much an average of every 3 frets (well, two in 3 frets distances, one 4 frets and another 2 frets.).

You need P6, P5, the A-string half raise and the C-string half raise.

Others look at it the Monk-way as a minor 6th with the 6th in the bass. Unless you are deep into Gypsy Jazz, minor6th is not so common in American Jazz/Bebop.

For single notes, I favor the Major positions, especially the 9th string rooted one, and just play one fret below omitting the root. Off minor positions like the 8th-string rooted min7th position, I prefer to play 3 frets above them.

... J-D.

[Joseph Carlson]

Look at my chart above, for a given root note a min7b5 chord occurs every three frets up and down the neck. When you add in the passing diminished chord you get a consistent pattern of whole step - half step up and down the neck, not matter the chord type.

[J D Sauser]

Look at my chart above, for a given root note a min7b5 chord occurs every three frets up and down the neck. When you add in the passing diminished chord you get a consistent pattern of whole step - half step up and down the neck, not matter the chord type.

I LIKE this approach of taking the diminished "every minor third up and down"-rule and alter the dim to half-dim (keeping b7 instead of double-b7th (aka. dim7th or well, the 6th).

Cool one!... J-D.