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A 7th flat 5 chord on guitar (A7♭5)
Also called or written A7♭5, A, A Dominant 7th Flat 5 or A 7th ♭5
A 7th flat 5 contains A, C♯, E♭, and G. This advanced open shape stretches the middle and ring fingers across two frets while muting the low E.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionA–C♯–E♭–GA7♭5×-0-1-0-2-3
- First inversionC♯–E♭–G–AA7♭5/C♯×-4-5-6-4-5
- Second inversionE♭–G–A–C♯A7♭5/E♭×-×-1-2-2-3
- Third inversionG–A–C♯–E♭A7♭5/G3-0-1-0-2-3
How do you play an A 7th flat 5 chord on guitar?
A 7th flat 5 is played in open position as × 0 1 0 2 3: index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the B string at fret 2 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 3. The A and G strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (1) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | C♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 3 | G (♭7) |
AdvancedThe hardest part is stretching the middle finger to the 2nd fret on the B string while the ring finger reaches the 3rd fret on the high e string.
Open · ×-0-1-2-2-3
A 7th flat 5 is played in open position as × 0 1 2 2 3: index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 2, ring finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The A string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (1) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (1) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (♭7) |
4th fret
A 7th flat 5 is played at the 4th fret as 5 4 5 6 4 ×: barre your index finger across fret 4, middle finger on the low E string at fret 5, ring finger on the D string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 6. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 2 | A (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 3 | G (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 4 | C♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
5th fret
A 7th flat 5 is played at the 5th fret as 5 6 5 6 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 5, ring finger on the A string at fret 6, middle finger on the D string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 6. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 1 | A (1) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 3 | E♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 2 | G (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 4 | C♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
7th fret
A 7th flat 5 is played at the 7th fret as × × 7 8 8 9: index finger on the D string at fret 7, middle finger on the G string at fret 8, ring finger on the B string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 9. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 | A (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 2 | E♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 3 | G (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 4 | C♯ (3) |
Why it sounds like that
A 7th flat 5 is built from the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th from A to E♭ gives the chord its tense quality. Compare it to A 7th, which raises the ♭5 to a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with A 7th flat 5?
- Letting the low E string ring open adds a non-chord tone.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the G string mutes its open note.
- Not arching the ring finger enough to avoid touching the B string.
When to use it
A 7th flat 5 works as a dominant chord in jazz and blues, often resolving to A major or A 5th. Its tense sound suits turnarounds and passing moments.
Changing to and from A 7th flat 5
- Move to <a href="/guitar/a-7-chord">A 7th</a> by lifting the ring finger from the high e string and placing it on the 3rd fret of the B string while keeping the other fingers in place.
Which voicing to use
The open position keeps the bass note A on the 5th string. For a brighter sound, use the 4th fret barre shape, which also has A in the bass but higher register.
Other A chords
Common questions
How is A 7th flat 5 written?
A 7th flat 5 is written as A7♭5 or A7b5. It may also be called Dominant 7th Flat 5 or 7th ♭5.
What is the difference between A 7th flat 5 and A 7th?
A 7th flat 5 has a diminished 5th (E♭) instead of the perfect 5th (E) in A 7th. This single note creates a more dissonant, unresolved sound.
Can A 7th flat 5 be used in place of A 7th?
Yes, but it adds tension. Use A 7th flat 5 when you want a more altered dominant sound, especially before resolving to a major chord.