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F 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar (F7♯5)
Also called or written F7♯5, F or F Dominant 7th ♯5
F 7th sharp 5 contains F, A, C♯, and E♭. The open voicing mutes the high e string, leaving five sounding notes.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7
- Root positionF–A–C♯–E♭F7♯51-0-1-2-2-×
- First inversionA–C♯–E♭–FF7♯5/A×-0-1-2-2-1
- Second inversionC♯–E♭–F–AF7♯5/C♯×-4-3-2-4-×
- Third inversionE♭–F–A–C♯F7♯5/E♭×-×-1-2-2-1
How do you play an F 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar?
F 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as 1 0 1 2 2 ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 2. The A string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (3) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 2 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 4 | C♯ (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the 2nd fret on the B string while the ring finger holds the 2nd fret on the G string.
F7♯5/A inversion · open position
F 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as × 0 1 2 2 1: index finger on the D string at fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 2, pinky finger on the B string at fret 2 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The A string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (3) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 4 | C♯ (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 2 | F (1) |
F7♯5/A inversion · fret 10
F 7th sharp 5 is played at the 10th fret as × 12 11 10 10 11: barre your index finger across fret 10, pinky finger on the A string at fret 12, middle finger on the D string at fret 11 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 11. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 4 | A (3) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 2 | C♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 1 (barre) | A (3) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 3 | E♭ (♭7) |
F7♯5/C♯ inversion · fret 2
F 7th sharp 5 is played at the 2nd fret as × 4 3 2 4 ×: ring finger on the A string at fret 4, middle finger on the D string at fret 3, index finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 4. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 3 | C♯ (♯5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 2 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 | A (3) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 4 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
F7♯5/C♯ inversion · fret 7
F 7th sharp 5 is played at the 7th fret as 9 8 7 8 × ×: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 9, middle finger on the A string at fret 8, index finger on the D string at fret 7 and ring finger on the G string at fret 8. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 4 | C♯ (♯5) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 2 | F (1) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 | A (3) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
F 7th sharp 5 is built from root, major 3rd, augmented 5th, and minor 7th. The augmented 5th C♯ gives the chord its bright, tense colour, and the tritone between A and E♭ adds pull. Compare it to F 7th, which has a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with F 7th sharp 5?
- Let the high e ring open; it is not a chord tone and will clash.
- Flatten the ring finger on the G string and deaden the B string.
- Miss the index finger on the low E, losing the root F.
When to use it
F 7th sharp 5 functions as a dominant in F major, often resolving to F major or F 5th. Its bright, tense quality suits jazz, blues, and funk.
Changing to and from F 7th sharp 5
- Slide the shape down two frets to the 8th fret for E♭ 7th sharp 5.
- Move to <a href="/guitar/f-7-chord">F 7th</a> by lowering C♯ to C on the G string.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps F in the bass and is the most accessible. The F7♯5/A inversion puts the major 3rd in the bass for smoother voice-leading, while the F7♯5/C♯ inversion highlights the augmented 5th.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F 7th sharp 5 written?
F 7th sharp 5 is written as F7♯5 or F7+5. It is also called F dominant 7th sharp 5.
What is the difference between F 7th sharp 5 and F augmented?
F 7th sharp 5 adds a minor 7th E♭ to the augmented triad F–A–C♯. F augmented has no 7th and is spelled F–A–C♯.
Can F 7th sharp 5 be played as a barre chord?
Yes, the F7♯5/A inversion at the 10th fret uses a barre. The open voicing avoids barres but requires muting the high e.