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B 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar (B7♯5)
Also called or written B7♯5, B or B Dominant 7th ♯5
B 7th sharp 5 contains B, D♯, F♯♯, and A. The open voicing leaves the B string open for the minor 7th A and mutes the low E.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7
- Root positionB–D♯–F♯♯–AB7♯5×-2-1-2-0-3
- First inversionD♯–F♯♯–A–BB7♯5/D♯×-×-1-2-0-3
- Second inversionF♯♯–A–B–D♯B7♯5/F♯♯3-0-1-0-0-3
- Third inversionA–B–D♯–F♯♯B7♯5/A×-0-1-0-0-3
How do you play a B 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar?
B 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as × 2 1 2 0 3: middle finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. 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 | 2 | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | F♯♯ (♯5) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the 3rd fret on the high e while the ring finger holds the 2nd fret on the G string.
B7♯5/D♯ inversion · open position
B 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as × × 1 2 0 3: index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 3. The B string rings open. 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) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 3 | F♯♯ (♯5) |
B7♯5/D♯ inversion · fret 4
B 7th sharp 5 is played at the 4th fret as × 6 5 4 4 5: barre your index finger across fret 4, pinky finger on the A string at fret 6, middle finger on the D string at fret 5 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 5. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 4 | D♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 2 | F♯♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | D♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 3 | A (♭7) |
B7♯5/F♯♯ inversion · 3-0-1-0-0-3
B 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as 3 0 1 0 0 3: middle finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 3. The A, G and B strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 2 | F♯♯ (♯5) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (3) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | F♯♯ (♯5) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 3 | F♯♯ (♯5) |
B7♯5/F♯♯ inversion · 3-0-1-2-0-3
B 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as 3 0 1 2 0 3: ring finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The A and B strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 3 | F♯♯ (♯5) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | F♯♯ (♯5) |
Why it sounds like that
B 7th sharp 5 is built from root, major 3rd, augmented 5th, and minor 7th. The augmented 5th F♯♯ gives the chord its bright, tense colour, and the tritone between D♯ and A adds pull. Compare it to B 7th, which has a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with B 7th sharp 5?
- Let the low E ring open; it is not a chord tone and will muddy the bass.
- Flatten the ring finger on the G string and deaden the open B string.
- Miss the pinky on the high e, losing the augmented 5th F♯♯.
When to use it
B 7th sharp 5 functions as a dominant in B major, often resolving to B major or B 5th. Its bright, tense quality suits jazz, blues, and funk.
Changing to and from B 7th sharp 5
- Slide the shape down two frets to the 2nd fret for A 7th sharp 5.
- Move to <a href="/guitar/b-7-chord">B 7th</a> by lowering F♯♯ to F♯ on the high e string.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps B in the bass and is the most accessible. The B7♯5/D♯ inversion puts the major 3rd in the bass for smoother voice-leading, while the B7♯5/F♯♯ inversion highlights the augmented 5th.
Other B chords
Common questions
How is B 7th sharp 5 written?
B 7th sharp 5 is written as B7♯5 or B7+5. It is also called B dominant 7th sharp 5.
What is the difference between B 7th sharp 5 and B augmented?
B 7th sharp 5 adds a minor 7th A to the augmented triad B–D♯–F♯♯. B augmented has no 7th and is spelled B–D♯–F♯♯.
Can B 7th sharp 5 be played as a barre chord?
Yes, the B7♯5/D♯ inversion uses a barre at the 4th fret. The open voicing avoids barres but requires muting the low E.