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D 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar (D7♯5)
Also called or written D7♯5, D or D Dominant 7th ♯5
D 7th sharp 5 contains D, F♯, A♯, and C. The open voicing mutes both the low E and A strings, leaving four sounding notes.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7
- Root positionD–F♯–A♯–CD7♯5×-×-0-3-1-2
- First inversionF♯–A♯–C–DD7♯5/F♯2-1-0-3-1-×
- Second inversionA♯–C–D–F♯D7♯5/A♯×-1-0-3-1-2
- Third inversionC–D–F♯–A♯D7♯5/C×-3-0-3-1-2
How do you play a D 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar?
D 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as × × 0 3 1 2: ring finger on the G string at fret 3, index finger on the B string at fret 1 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 2. The D 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) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | A♯ (♯5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (3) |
AdvancedThe ring finger must reach the 3rd fret on the G string while the index and middle fingers hold lower frets.
D7♯5/F♯ inversion · 2-1-0-3-1-×
D 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as 2 1 0 3 1 ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 2, index finger on the A string at fret 1, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3 and middle finger on the B string at fret 1. 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♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | A♯ (♯5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 4 | A♯ (♯5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
D7♯5/F♯ inversion · 2-3-0-3-1-×
D 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as 2 3 0 3 1 ×: middle finger on the low E string at fret 2, ring finger on the A string at fret 3, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3 and index finger on the B string at fret 1. The D string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 4 | A♯ (♯5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
D7♯5/F♯ inversion · 2-3-0-3-3-×
D 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as 2 3 0 3 3 ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 2, middle finger on the A string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at fret 3 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 | 1 | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | A♯ (♯5) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (1) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
D7♯5/F♯ inversion · ×-9-8-7-7-8
D 7th sharp 5 is played at the 7th fret as × 9 8 7 7 8: barre your index finger across fret 7, pinky finger on the A string at fret 9, middle finger on the D string at fret 8 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 4 | F♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 2 | A♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 3 | C (♭7) |
Why it sounds like that
D 7th sharp 5 is built from root, major 3rd, augmented 5th, and minor 7th. The augmented 5th A♯ gives the chord its bright, tense colour, and the tritone between F♯ and C adds pull. Compare it to D 7th, which has a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with D 7th sharp 5?
- Let the low E ring open; it is not a chord tone and will muddy the bass.
- Let the A string ring open; it is not a chord tone and will clash.
- Flatten the ring finger on the G string and deaden the B string.
When to use it
D 7th sharp 5 functions as a dominant in D major, often resolving to D major or D 5th. Its bright, tense quality suits jazz, blues, and funk.
Changing to and from D 7th sharp 5
- Slide the shape down two frets to the 5th fret for C 7th sharp 5.
- Move to <a href="/guitar/d-7-chord">D 7th</a> by lowering A♯ to A on the G string.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps D in the bass and is the most accessible. The D7♯5/F♯ inversion puts the major 3rd in the bass for smoother voice-leading.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D 7th sharp 5 written?
D 7th sharp 5 is written as D7♯5 or D7+5. It is also called D dominant 7th sharp 5.
What is the difference between D 7th sharp 5 and D augmented?
D 7th sharp 5 adds a minor 7th C to the augmented triad D–F♯–A♯. D augmented has no 7th and is spelled D–F♯–A♯.
Can D 7th sharp 5 be played as a barre chord?
Yes, the D7♯5/F♯ inversion at the 7th fret uses a barre. The open voicing avoids barres but requires muting two strings.