7#5 chords

The 7th sharp 5th chord is an alternate seventh chord. This chord is a dominant seventh with a sharpened fifth. By comparing C7 with C7#5 we can see that the notes change from C, E, G, Bb to C, E, G#, Bb. The chord is sometimes written 7(#5), in which the parentheses makes it clearer, or as C7+5 with the plus replacing the sharp symbol. It can also be written as C7b13 (the flat 13th is the raised 5th on the next octave). Note that 7#5 chord is also referred to as aug7.

The chord is most often played with the root on the sixth string, but also the version with root on the fifth string is presented below.

7#5

C7#5

C#7#5

D7#5

Eb7#5

E7#5

F7#5

F#7#5

G7#5

G#7#5

A7#5

Bb7#5

B7#5

Comments

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

With the root on 5th string

The seventh sharp five chord can be played with the root on the fifth string. The seventh is on the third string, the third on the second string and the raised fifth on the first string.

C7#5 chord diagram

The diagram shows C7#5.

Chord formula

The seventh sharp fifth is built with the formula 1-3-#5-b7. This includes the root (1), the third (3), the augmented fifth (#5) and the minor seventh (b7).

Chord construction

C7#5 C - x - Bb - E - G# - x
C#7#5 C# - x - B - F - A - x
D7#5 D - x - C - F# - A# - x
D#7#5 D# - x - C# - G - B - x
E7#5 E - x - D - G# - C - x
F7#5 F - x - D# - A - C# - x
F#7#5 F# - x - E - A# - D - x
G7#5 G - x - F - B - D# - x
G#7#5 G# - x - F# - C - E - x
A7#5 A - x - A - C# - F - x
A#7#5 A# - x - G# - D - F# - x
B7#5 B - x - A - D# - G - x
Guitar versions of the chord

Notes in chord

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

Chord progressions

Progressions including this chord type:

E7 - E7#5 (032130)

D7 - D7#5 (XX0312) - Bm

A7 - A7#5 (X03021) - F#m7

Fm9 (X8688X) - Bb7#5 - Bb13 (6X678X)

Em9 (X7577X) - A13 (5X567X) - A7#5 - Dmaj9 (X5465X)

Chord comparisons

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

Chord construction

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

Notes in chord

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

See other alternate chords.

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