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B♭ 7th flat 5 chord on guitar (B♭7♭5)
Also called or written B♭7♭5, B♭, B♭ Dominant 7th Flat 5 or B♭ 7th ♭5
B♭ 7th flat 5 contains B♭, D, F♭, and A♭. This advanced open voicing keeps the bass on the A string while muting the low E.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionB♭–D–F♭–A♭B♭7♭5×-1-0-1-3-0
- First inversionD–F♭–A♭–B♭B♭7♭5/D×-5-6-7-5-6
- Second inversionF♭–A♭–B♭–DB♭7♭5/F♭0-1-0-1-3-0
- Third inversionA♭–B♭–D–F♭B♭7♭5/A♭×-×-6-7-5-6
How do you play a B♭ 7th flat 5 chord on guitar?
B♭ 7th flat 5 is played in open position as × 1 0 1 3 0: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and ring finger on the B string at fret 3. The D and high e strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (3) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 3 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | F♭ (♭5) |
AdvancedThe hardest part is muting the low E string while fretting the A string at the 1st fret without accidentally touching the open D string.
Open · ×-1-2-1-3-0
B♭ 7th flat 5 is played in open position as × 1 2 1 3 0: index finger on the A string at fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3. The high e string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 3 | F♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | F♭ (♭5) |
5th fret
B♭ 7th flat 5 is played at the 5th fret as 6 5 6 7 5 ×: barre your index finger across fret 5, middle finger on the low E string at fret 6, ring finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 7. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 2 | B♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 1 (barre) | D (3) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 3 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 4 | D (3) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 1 (barre) | F♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
6th fret
B♭ 7th flat 5 is played at the 6th fret as 6 7 6 7 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 6, ring finger on the A string at fret 7, middle finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 7. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 3 | F♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 2 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 4 | D (3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
8th fret
B♭ 7th flat 5 is played at the 8th fret as × × 8 9 9 10: index finger on the D string at fret 8, middle finger on the G string at fret 9, ring finger on the B string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 10. 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) | 8 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 2 | F♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 3 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 4 | D (3) |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ 7th flat 5 is built from the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between B♭ and F♭ gives the chord its tense, unresolved color. Compare it to B♭ 7th, which has a perfect 5th instead.
What goes wrong with B♭ 7th flat 5?
- Letting the low E string ring out, which changes the bass note from B♭ to E.
- Flattening your index finger and deadening the open D string next to it.
When to use it
B♭ 7th flat 5 suits jazz, blues, and funk lines that need a tense, altered dominant sound. Pair it with B♭ major or B♭ 7th for contrast.
Changing to and from B♭ 7th flat 5
- From B♭ 7th flat 5, slide the shape down two frets to the 3rd fret to reach A♭ 7th flat 5.
- Move to B♭ 7th by lifting your middle finger and placing your ring finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret, while keeping the index finger on the 5th string, 1st fret.
Which voicing to use
The open position keeps the bass on B♭ at the 1st fret of the A string, giving a clear root. The 5th fret position moves the bass to the low E string at the 6th fret, adding more weight. The 8th fret position starts on the D string, producing a higher, thinner voicing.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ 7th flat 5 written?
B♭ 7th flat 5 is written as B♭7♭5 or B♭. The ASCII root is Bb, as in Bb7b5. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between B♭ 7th flat 5 and B♭ 7th?
B♭ 7th flat 5 lowers the 5th from F to F♭, creating a diminished 5th interval. B♭ 7th has a perfect 5th, making it sound more stable.
Why does B♭ 7th flat 5 sound so tense?
The diminished 5th between B♭ and F♭ is a tritone, which creates strong dissonance. This tension makes the chord want to resolve, typically to a chord a fifth below.
Can B♭ 7th flat 5 be used in place of B♭ 7th?
Yes, B♭ 7th flat 5 can substitute for B♭ 7th when you want a more altered, jazz-oriented dominant sound. Its verified note order explains the sound without relying on outside harmony.