Jazz Minor #5 Mode on Guitar: Notes, Chords & Examples

  • May 21, 2026

The Jazz Minor #5 mode is a dark, modern, and slightly mysterious scale with a strong fusion flavor. It sounds like melodic minor, but with an extra twist: the fifth is raised.

That raised fifth gives the mode an unstable, floating quality. It does not feel as grounded as natural minor or Dorian. Instead, it leans toward cinematic jazz, progressive rock, fusion, and advanced metal harmony.

For guitarists, this mode is excellent when you want something that sounds:

  • Minor, but not traditionally sad
  • Jazzy and sophisticated
  • Tense, colorful, and unresolved
  • Slightly “outside” without becoming random
  • Great over minor-major seventh and augmented minor sounds

If you like the sound of minor chords with a major 7th, augmented colors, and unusual melodic tension, Jazz Minor #5 is worth exploring.

Formula

The interval formula for Jazz Minor #5 is:

1 2 b3 4 #5 6 7

In interval names:

Root, major 2nd, minor 3rd, perfect 4th, augmented 5th, major 6th, major 7th

Compared to regular C Melodic Minor:

C Melodic Minor:   1 2 b3 4 5 6 7
C Jazz Minor #5:   1 2 b3 4 #5 6 7

The only difference is the raised fifth.

That one note changes the entire personality of the scale.

Notes in C

The notes of C Jazz Minor #5 are:

C D Eb F G# A B

Notice the important spelling:

  • G# is the raised 5th
  • A is the natural 6th
  • B is the major 7th

Do not think of G# as Ab here. If you call it Ab, the mode starts to look like it has a b6 instead of a #5, which changes how you understand the sound.

The key color tones are:

  • Eb = minor sound
  • G# = augmented tension
  • A = melodic minor / Dorian-like brightness
  • B = major 7th, giving a dramatic jazz-minor flavor

The Chord That Defines the Mode

The defining chord of C Jazz Minor #5 is:

Cm(maj7)#5

Notes:

C Eb G# B

This chord captures the mode because it includes the most important tones:

  • C = root
  • Eb = minor 3rd
  • G# = raised 5th
  • B = major 7th

That combination creates a very distinctive sound. It is minor, but not like Aeolian or Dorian. It has a darker, more sophisticated quality because of the major 7th, and the #5 makes it feel unstable and futuristic.

A fuller version would be:

Cm(maj9)#5 add13

Notes:

C Eb G# B D A

You can also add the 11th:

F

But the core identity is still:

C Eb G# B

On guitar, even a simple voicing like this can sound very strong:

Cm(maj7)#5

e|--7--
B|--8--
G|--8--
D|--6--
A|-----
E|--8--

This chord immediately gives you the sound of the mode.

Chord Progressions

Because Jazz Minor #5 is an advanced synthetic mode, its chord progressions can sound unusual. The best approach is often to use short vamps and let the melody define the color.

Here are three practical progressions in C Jazz Minor #5.

Progression 1

i(maj7#5) - IV7
Cm(maj7)#5 - F7

This is one of the clearest ways to hear the mode.

The Cm(maj7)#5 gives you the dark, augmented minor sound. The F7 comes naturally from the scale:

F A C Eb

This progression has a smoky fusion mood. It works well for slow grooves, odd-meter riffs, or atmospheric progressive sections.

Try looping:

Cm(maj7)#5 | F7 |

Then improvise using:

C D Eb F G# A B

Target G# and B to bring out the modal color.

Progression 2

i(maj7#5) - ii7 - IV7 - i(maj7#5)
Cm(maj7)#5 - Dm7 - F7 - Cm(maj7)#5

This progression feels more open and jazzy.

The Dm7 chord adds movement without pulling too strongly away from C. The F7 gives the progression a dominant color, but it does not resolve in a normal blues or jazz way. Instead, it falls back into the strange gravity of Cm(maj7)#5.

Mood:

  • Modern jazz-rock
  • Smooth but tense
  • Good for fusion solos
  • Works well with clean guitar, delay, and legato phrasing

Progression 3

i(maj7#5) - viiø7 - #v°7 - i(maj7#5)
Cm(maj7)#5 - Bm7b5 - G#dim7 - Cm(maj7)#5

This is the darkest of the three.

The chords are:

Cm(maj7)#5 = C Eb G# B
Bm7b5      = B D F A
G#dim7     = G# B D F

The G#dim7 chord is especially useful because G# is the raised fifth of the mode. That makes the diminished chord feel connected to the main color of the scale.

Mood:

  • Dark progressive metal
  • Tense cinematic fusion
  • Great for dramatic intros or breakdowns
  • Strong “unresolved” energy

For metal players, try turning this into a riff using pedal tones on C while moving upper notes from the chords.

Famous Songs and Guitarists Using C Jazz Minor #5

There are no widely known guitar songs that are clearly and commonly identified as being written specifically in C Jazz Minor #5.

That is important to say honestly.

This mode is more of an advanced color than a common songwriting key. You are more likely to hear it used briefly over a chord, in a fusion line, or as part of a modern harmonic idea rather than as the main scale of an entire song.

However, the sound is related to vocabulary commonly associated with:

  • Allan Holdsworth-style fusion harmony
  • modern jazz guitar
  • progressive rock and metal
  • minor-major seventh chord sounds
  • augmented and diminished tension
  • melodic minor-derived improvisation

You may hear related colors in players such as Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Frank Zappa, or modern prog/fusion guitarists, but that is not the same as claiming a specific famous track is definitely “in Jazz Minor #5.”

A practical way to use it is over a chord like:

Cm(maj7)#5

or over a vamp that emphasizes:

C Eb G# B

That is where the mode becomes immediately recognizable.

Guitar Fretboard Shape

Here is a practical C Jazz Minor #5 shape starting around the 8th fret.

Notes:

C D Eb F G# A B

Tab-style fretboard diagram:

e|-------------------------10-11-13-|
B|------------------10-12-13--------|
G|-------------8-10-13--------------|
D|--------9-10-12-------------------|
A|-8-11-12--------------------------|
E|-8-10-11--------------------------|

This shape includes a few wider stretches because the scale has an augmented gap between:

F and G#

That stretch is part of the sound.

Practice it slowly and listen carefully to the notes that feel most unusual:

  • G# against C
  • B against C
  • A against Eb
  • F to G# melodic movement

Do not just run the pattern up and down. Make phrases.

Why Guitarists Love This Mode

Emotional Flavor

C Jazz Minor #5 has a rare emotional mix.

It is dark because of the b3, but bright and elegant because of the 6 and 7. The #5 adds a suspended, almost sci-fi tension.

It does not sound like standard minor. It sounds more modern, more unstable, and more dramatic.

Riff Potential

For riff writing, this mode is excellent if you avoid ordinary minor-scale habits.

Instead of relying on the normal perfect fifth, emphasize:

C - Eb - G# - B

That gives you the defining sound.

Good riff ideas:

  • Pedal on C and move between Eb, F, G#, and B
  • Use slides from G# to A
  • Use chromatic tension between B and C
  • Create angular lines using F to G#

For progressive metal, you can build riffs around C as the tonal center while avoiding a standard C5 power chord. Since the mode has G# instead of G, a normal C5 can weaken the modal flavor.

Soloing Applications

This mode works beautifully over:

Cm(maj7)#5
Cm(maj9)#5
Cm(maj7) with an augmented color

When soloing, target these tones:

  • Eb for the minor identity
  • G# for the #5 sound
  • B for the major 7th tension
  • A for a brighter melodic minor color

A simple phrase idea:

C - D - Eb - F - G# - B - C

That line skips A and strongly highlights the augmented minor-major sound.

Another useful idea:

B - C - Eb - G# - A - G# - F - Eb

This gives you tension, release, and that half-step motion between G# and A.

Genres Where It Works Well

C Jazz Minor #5 is especially useful in:

  • Fusion
  • Progressive rock
  • Progressive metal
  • Modern jazz guitar
  • Cinematic scoring
  • Experimental songwriting
  • Dark ambient guitar music
  • Advanced modal composition

It is not a casual campfire-song mode. It is a color mode for moments when you want something more unusual.

Tips for Practicing

Use a Drone

Start with a low C drone.

You can use:

  • A looper pedal
  • A synth drone
  • A bass note in your DAW
  • An open C tuning drone
  • A sustained C power chord without the fifth, if possible

Play the scale slowly over the drone and listen to each interval.

Spend extra time on:

Eb, G#, A, B

Those notes define the personality of the mode.

Try Chord Vamps

Use short vamps instead of long progressions.

Good starting vamps:

Cm(maj7)#5 | F7
Cm(maj7)#5 | Dm7
Cm(maj7)#5 | G#dim7

Loop one vamp for several minutes and improvise melodically.

The goal is not to play fast. The goal is to hear the mode clearly.

Improvise with Small Motifs

Avoid running the full scale all the time.

Create small motifs like:

C - Eb - G#
B - C - D - Eb
F - G# - A

Then move them rhythmically around the fretboard.

This is especially useful for fusion and prog players because the mode already sounds complex. Simple motifs help make it musical.

Target the Important Intervals

The most important intervals are:

  • b3 = Eb
  • #5 = G#
  • 6 = A
  • 7 = B

If you land on the root too often, the mode may sound static.

If you target G# and B, the sound becomes much more distinctive.

Try resolving:

B -> C
G# -> A
G# -> F
Eb -> C

These movements help you control the tension.

Try This Mode in SLModes

Want to explore C Jazz Minor #5 more deeply?

Try it in SLModes.

SLModes helps you experiment with:

  • Modal fretboard shapes
  • Chords built from the mode
  • Modal chord progressions
  • Modal modulation ideas
  • Negative harmony transformations
  • Guitar-focused scale visualization

For a mode like Jazz Minor #5, this is especially useful because the sound depends on hearing the relationship between the chord, the fretboard, and the color tones.

Load up C Jazz Minor #5, loop a Cm(maj7)#5 vamp, and start exploring where the #5 and major 7th want to resolve.