7b5 chords

The 7th flat 5th chord is an alternate seventh chord. This chord is a dominant seventh with a flattened fifth. By comparing C7 with C7b5 we can see that the notes change from C, E, G, Bb to C, E, Gb, Bb. The chord is sometimes written 7(b5), in which the parentheses makes it clearer, or as C7-5 with the minus replacing the sharp symbol. It can also be written as 7#11 (the sharp 11th is the raised 4th on the next octave).

The chord is most often played with the root on the fifth string.

7b5

C7b5

  • C7b5 chord diagram

C#7b5

  • C#7b5 chord diagram

D7b5

  • D7b5 chord diagram

Eb7b5

  • D#7b5 chord diagram

E7b5

  • E7b5 chord diagram

F7b5

  • F7b5 chord diagram

F#7b5

  • F#7b5 chord diagram

G7b5

  • G7b5 chord diagram

G#7b5

  • G#7b5 chord diagram

A7b5

  • A7b5 chord diagram

Bb7b5

  • A#7b5 chord diagram

B7b5

  • B7b9 chord diagram

Comments

E7#5 could of course also be played as 12 X 12 13 13 X. Note that the fifth string is muted by an adjacent finger.

Chord formula

The seventh flat fifth is built with the formula 1-3-b5-b7. This includes the root (1), the third (3), the flattened fifth (b5) and the minor seventh (b7).

Chord construction

C7b5  C - x - Bb - E - Gb - x
C#7b5  C# - x - B - F - G - x
D7b5  D - x - C - F# - Ab - x
D#7b5  D# - x - C# - G - A - x
E7b5  E - x - D - G# - Bb - x
F7b5  F - x - D# - A - Cb - x
F#7b5  F# - x - E - A# - C - x
G7b5  G - x - F - B - Db - x
G#7b5  G# - x - F# - C - D - x
A7b5  A - x - A - C# - Eb - x
A#7b5  A# - x - G# - D - E - x
B7b5  B - x - A - D# - F - x
Guitar versions of the chord

Notes in chord

C7#5  C - E - Gb - Bb
C#7#5  C# - F - G - B
D7#5 D - F# - Ab - C
D#7#5  D# - G - A - C#
E7#5  E - G# - Bb - D
F7#5  F - A - B - D#
F#7#5  F# - A# - C - E
G7#5  G - B - Db - F
G#7#5  G# - C - D - F#
A7#5  A - C# - Eb - G
A#7#5  A# - D - E - G#
B7#5  B - D# - F - A
The intervals are 1 – 3 – b5 – b7

Chord progressions

Progressions including this chord type:

C7 - B7b5 - Bbmaj7

Dm7 - Dbm7b5 (X4545X) - C7b5 - Bb6 (X1003X)

E7b5 - Bm13 (7X779X) - Dmaj7 (X5767X)

Chord comparisons

The seventh flat five chord has similarities with the dominant seven and the seventh sharp five:

Chord construction

C7  x - C - E - Bb - C - E
C7b5  x - C - Gb - Bb - E - x
C7#5  C - x - Bb - E - G# - x
Guitar versions of the chord

Notes in chord

C7 C - E - G - Bb
C7b5 C - E - Gb - Bb
C7#5 C - E - G# - Bb
Theoretical order of notes


See other alternate chords.

Back to chord types

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