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B 7th flat 5 chord on guitar (B7♭5)
Also called or written B7♭5, B, B Dominant 7th Flat 5 or B 7th ♭5
B 7th flat 5 is built from B, D♯, F, and A. The open voicing spreads the fingers across four frets, making it a demanding stretch for the left hand.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionB–D♯–F–AB7♭5×-2-1-2-0-1
- First inversionD♯–F–A–BB7♭5/D♯×-×-1-2-0-1
- Second inversionF–A–B–D♯B7♭5/F1-0-1-2-0-1
- Third inversionA–B–D♯–FB7♭5/A×-0-1-2-0-1
How do you play a B 7th flat 5 chord on guitar?
B 7th flat 5 is played in open position as × 2 1 2 0 1: ring finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1, pinky finger on the G string at fret 2 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The B string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 3 | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 4 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (1) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 2 | F (♭5) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires a wide stretch from the 1st fret on the D string to the 2nd fret on the G string with the pinky.
2nd fret
B 7th flat 5 is played at the 2nd fret as × 2 3 2 4 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the D string at fret 3, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 4. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 3 | F (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 4 | D♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
6th fret
B 7th flat 5 is played at the 6th fret as 7 6 7 8 6 ×: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the low E string at fret 7, ring finger on the D string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 2 | B (1) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | D♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 3 | A (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | D♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
7th fret
B 7th flat 5 is played at the 7th fret as 7 8 7 8 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 7, ring finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the D string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 1 | B (1) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 3 | F (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 2 | A (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | D♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
9th fret
B 7th flat 5 is played at the 9th fret as × × 9 10 10 11: index finger on the D string at fret 9, middle finger on the G string at fret 10, ring finger on the B string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 11. 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) | 9 | 1 | B (1) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | D♯ (3) |
Why it sounds like that
B 7th flat 5 combines a major 3rd, a diminished 5th, and a minor 7th. The diminished 5th between B and F creates the chord's signature tension. Compare it to B 7th, which uses F♯ instead of F.
What goes wrong with B 7th flat 5?
- Letting the low E string ring out and clash with the chord.
- Flattening the pinky and muting the B string.
- Not pressing the D string hard enough, causing a buzz at the 1st fret.
When to use it
B 7th flat 5 functions as a dominant chord in keys like E major, resolving to E major. Its dissonance suits jazz and experimental rock. Use it before E major or B 7th.
Changing to and from B 7th flat 5
- From the open voicing, move your index finger to the 2nd fret of the A string and your ring finger to the 3rd fret of the D string for C 7th flat 5.
- Slide the 2nd-fret shape up one fret to the 3rd fret to get C 7th flat 5.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing is the only option without a barre, but the 6th-fret barre version offers a more compact shape. The 9th-fret voicing places the root on the D string for a higher register.
Other B chords
Common questions
Why is the low E string muted in B 7th flat 5?
The open E string is not a chord tone in B 7th flat 5. Muting it keeps the voicing clean and prevents an unwanted note from ringing.
What is the difference between B 7th flat 5 and B 7th?
B 7th flat 5 lowers the perfect 5th of B 7th by one semitone to F. That creates a diminished 5th interval and a more dissonant sound.
How does B 7th flat 5 resolve?
B 7th flat 5 typically resolves to E major. The tritone between B and F pulls strongly toward the E major chord.