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E 7th flat 5 chord on guitar (E7♭5)
Also called or written E7♭5, E, E Dominant 7th Flat 5 or E 7th ♭5
E 7th flat 5 contains E, G♯, B♭, and D. This advanced open shape requires a wide stretch from the 1st fret to the 3rd fret with all six strings sounding.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionE–G♯–B♭–DE7♭50-1-0-1-3-0
- First inversionG♯–B♭–D–EE7♭5/G♯×-×-6-7-5-6
- Second inversionB♭–D–E–G♯E7♭5/B♭×-1-0-1-3-0
- Third inversionD–E–G♯–B♭E7♭5/D×-5-6-7-5-6
How do you play an E 7th flat 5 chord on guitar?
E 7th flat 5 is played in open position as 0 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 low E, D and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | G♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 3 | D (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (1) |
AdvancedThe hardest part is stretching the ring finger to the 3rd fret on the B string while the index and middle fingers hold the 1st fret on the A and G strings.
Open · 0-1-2-1-3-0
E 7th flat 5 is played in open position as 0 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 low E and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 3 | E (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | G♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (1) |
2nd fret
E 7th flat 5 is played at the 2nd fret as × × 2 3 3 4: index finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 3, ring 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) | 2 | 1 | E (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 2 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 3 | D (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | G♯ (3) |
7th fret
E 7th flat 5 is played at the 7th fret as × 7 8 7 9 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 7, ring finger on the D string at fret 8, middle 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) | 7 | 1 | E (1) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 2 | D (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 4 | G♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
11th fret
E 7th flat 5 is played at the 11th fret as 12 11 12 13 11 ×: barre your index finger across fret 11, middle finger on the low E string at fret 12, ring finger on the D string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 12 | 2 | E (1) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 3 | D (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | G♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
E 7th flat 5 is built from the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th from E to B♭ creates the chord's unstable sound. Compare it to E 7th, which has a perfect 5th instead.
What goes wrong with E 7th flat 5?
- Flattening the ring finger onto the high e string mutes its open note.
- Not arching the middle finger enough to avoid touching the D string.
- Letting the index finger touch the low E string and mute its open note.
When to use it
E 7th flat 5 works as a dominant chord in jazz and blues, often resolving to E major or E 5th. Its tense sound suits turnarounds and passing moments.
Changing to and from E 7th flat 5
- Move to <a href="/guitar/e-7-chord">E 7th</a> by sliding the ring finger from the 3rd fret to the 2nd fret on the B string while keeping the other fingers in place.
Which voicing to use
The open position keeps the bass note E on the 6th string. For a brighter sound, use the 2nd fret shape, which also has E in the bass but higher register.
Other E chords
Common questions
How is E 7th flat 5 written?
E 7th flat 5 is written as E7♭5 or E7b5. It may also be called Dominant 7th Flat 5 or 7th ♭5.
What is the difference between E 7th flat 5 and E 7th?
E 7th flat 5 has a diminished 5th (B♭) instead of the perfect 5th (B) in E 7th. This single note creates a more dissonant, unresolved sound.
Can E 7th flat 5 be used in place of E 7th?
Yes, but it adds tension. Use E 7th flat 5 when you want a more altered dominant sound, especially before resolving to a major chord.