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B♭ 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar (B♭7♯5)
Also called or written B♭7♯5, B♭ or B♭ Dominant 7th ♯5
B♭ 7th sharp 5 contains B♭, D, F♯, and A♭. The open voicing stretches the pinky to fret 3 while the ring finger holds fret 2, demanding independent finger control.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7
- Root positionB♭–D–F♯–A♭B♭7♯5×-1-0-1-3-2
- First inversionD–F♯–A♭–B♭B♭7♯5/D×-5-4-3-3-4
- Second inversionF♯–A♭–B♭–DB♭7♯5/F♯2-1-0-1-3-×
- Third inversionA♭–B♭–D–F♯B♭7♯5/A♭4-5-4-3-3-×
How do you play a B♭ 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar?
B♭ 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as × 1 0 1 3 2: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 1, pinky finger on the B string at fret 3 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. The D 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) | open | — | D (3) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (♯5) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 3 on the 2nd string while the ring finger holds fret 2 on the 1st string, requiring a wide stretch.
B♭7♯5/D inversion
B♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 3rd fret as × 5 4 3 3 4: barre your index finger across fret 3, pinky finger on the A string at fret 5, middle finger on the D string at fret 4 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 4 | D (3) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 2 | F♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 (barre) | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 3 | A♭ (♭7) |
B♭7♯5/F♯ inversion · open position
B♭ 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as 2 1 0 1 3 ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 2, index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3. The D string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (♯5) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (3) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
B♭7♯5/F♯ inversion · fret 3
B♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 3rd fret as × × 4 3 3 4: ring finger on the D string at fret 4, index finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4. 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) | 4 | 3 | F♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 2 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | A♭ (♭7) |
B♭7♯5/F♯ inversion · fret 7
B♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 7th fret as × 9 8 7 9 ×: ring finger on the A string at fret 9, middle finger on the D string at fret 8, index finger on the G string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 9. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 3 | F♯ (♯5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 2 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 1 | D (3) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 4 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ 7th sharp 5 is built from the formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7. The augmented 5th between B♭ and F♯ gives the chord its tense, unstable quality. Compare it with B♭ 7th, which has a perfect 5th instead.
What goes wrong with B♭ 7th sharp 5?
- Letting the pinky collapse and mute the 2nd string.
- Strumming the 6th string, which is not part of the chord.
- Fretting the 4th string accidentally with the middle finger.
When to use it
Use the supplied linked chords to hear its tension without adding unsupported harmony. Its tense sound suits jazz, blues, and dramatic ballads. Compare it with B♭ major to hear the difference between the sharp 5 and the perfect 5.
Changing to and from B♭ 7th sharp 5
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 1st fret gives A♭ 7th sharp 5.
- Move the pinky from fret 3 to fret 4 on the 2nd string to reach B 7th sharp 5.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps B♭ in the bass, while the B♭7♯5/D inversion puts D in the bass for a lighter, less grounded sound. Use the F♯ inversion when you want the augmented 5th to lead the harmony.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ 7th sharp 5 written?
B♭ 7th sharp 5 is written as B♭7♯5 or B♭. The ASCII root is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between B♭ 7th sharp 5 and B♭ augmented?
B♭ augmented has no 7th, so it contains only B♭, D, and F♯. B♭ 7th sharp 5 adds the minor 7th A♭, creating a dominant sound.
Why does B♭ 7th sharp 5 sound unstable?
The augmented 5th interval between B♭ and F♯ is dissonant and wants to resolve. The tritone between D and A♭ adds further tension.
Can B♭ 7th sharp 5 be played in open position?
Yes, the open voicing uses open D and fretted notes on the other strings. It is a compact shape but requires careful muting of the 6th string.