Understand and Play the E7b5 Guitar Chord on Our Interactive Fretboard
The E7b5 chord, E seventh flat five, has the notes E, G#, Bb and D. The Bb is the flat fifth, only a half step under the B you would find in a plain E7.
Each of the three listed voicings uses open strings, one also has a barre, and the lowest fret is the 1st. Play it near the microphone and the page shows whether each string sounds, which is a quick way to find a muted one. The notes are all contained in the E Lydian dominant scale, which makes it a colourful choice for melodies.
E 7th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as E7b5, E7(b5) or E7-5.
E7b5 Chord Notes and Formula
Notes in the E 7b5 chord:
Tones in the Dominant Seventh Flat five chord:
Formula: 1 3 b5 b7
E7b5 Chord Interactive Fretboard
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E7b5 Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Open
Finger Positions
- Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
- Let the D string play without pressing any fret
- Mute the B string
- Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the A string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 1 of the G string
Position 2 Barre Open
Finger Positions
- Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the A and G strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the B string
Position 3 Open
Finger Positions
- Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 11 of the B string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 12 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the high E string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 13 of the G string
Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you
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Chords That Go With E7b5
One key where E7b5 fits is A major, where it works as the V chord, an altered chord whose Bb is borrowed from outside the key. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:
See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.
More E Chords
Want to know how this chord is built? Read dominant chords explained, or browse all E guitar chords.
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes are in E7b5?
E7b5 is E, G#, Bb and D. The Bb is the lowered fifth, a semitone under the B of E7.
How many voicings does E7b5 have, and which use open strings?
There are 3 voicings, from fret 1 to fret 13, and all 3 use open strings. One is a barre voicing.
Which scale goes with E seventh flat five?
The E whole-tone scale is E, F#, G#, A#, B# and D. It holds every chord pitch, with the chord's Bb written as A#.
What is the tritone in E7b5?
E and Bb are a tritone apart, and so are G# and D. Two tritones in one four-note chord give it a tense sound.
How is E7b5 different from E7?
E7 has E, G#, B and D. E7b5 lowers the B to Bb, a diminished fifth over the root.
