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G 7th flat 5 chord on guitar (G7♭5)
Also called or written G7♭5, G, G Dominant 7th Flat 5 or G 7th ♭5
G 7th flat 5 is built from G, B, D♭, and F. The open voicing leaves the G string open, creating a bright, ringing sound.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionG–B–D♭–FG7♭53-2-3-0-2-×
- First inversionB–D♭–F–GG7♭5/B×-2-3-0-2-1
- Second inversionD♭–F–G–BG7♭5/D♭×-4-5-4-6-×
- Third inversionF–G–B–D♭G7♭5/F1-2-3-0-2-×
How do you play a G 7th flat 5 chord on guitar?
G 7th flat 5 is played in open position as 3 2 3 0 2 ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 2, pinky finger on the D string at fret 3 and middle finger on the B string at fret 2. The G string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | B (3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 4 | F (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires fretting the low E, A, D, and B strings while keeping the G string open and the high E muted.
2nd fret
G 7th flat 5 is played at the 2nd fret as 3 2 3 4 2 ×: barre your index finger across fret 2, middle finger on the low E string at fret 3, ring finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 4. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 2 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 (barre) | B (3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 3 | F (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 4 | B (3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
3rd fret
G 7th flat 5 is played at the 3rd fret as 3 4 3 4 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 3, ring finger on the A string at fret 4, middle finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 4. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 3 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 2 | F (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 4 | B (3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
5th fret
G 7th flat 5 is played at the 5th fret as × × 5 6 6 7: index finger on the D string at fret 5, middle finger on the G string at fret 6, ring finger on the B string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 7. 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) | 5 | 1 | G (1) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 2 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 3 | F (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 4 | B (3) |
10th fret
G 7th flat 5 is played at the 10th fret as × 10 11 10 12 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 10, ring finger on the D string at fret 11, middle finger on the G string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 12. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 | G (1) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 3 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 4 | B (3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
G 7th flat 5 stacks a major 3rd, a diminished 5th, and a minor 7th. The diminished 5th between G and D♭ defines the chord. Compare it to G 7th, which uses D instead of D♭.
What goes wrong with G 7th flat 5?
- Letting the high E string ring out and clash with the chord.
- Flattening the pinky and muting the D string.
- Not pressing the B string hard enough, causing a buzz at the 2nd fret.
When to use it
G 7th flat 5 works as a dominant substitute in C major, resolving to C major. Its tense quality suits jazz and blues. Try it before C major or G 7th.
Changing to and from G 7th flat 5
- From the open voicing, move your index finger to the 1st fret of the A string and your ring finger to the 2nd fret of the low E string for F♯ 7th flat 5.
- Slide the 2nd-fret shape up one fret to the 3rd fret to get A♭ 7th flat 5.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing is the most accessible, but the 10th-fret version offers a fuller sound with the root on the A string. The 5th-fret shape places the root on the D string for a brighter register.
Other G chords
Common questions
Why is the high E string muted in G 7th flat 5?
The open E string is not a chord tone in G 7th flat 5. Muting it keeps the voicing clean and prevents an unwanted note from ringing.
What is the difference between G 7th flat 5 and G 7th?
G 7th flat 5 lowers the perfect 5th of G 7th by one semitone to D♭. That creates a diminished 5th interval and a more dissonant sound.
How does G 7th flat 5 resolve?
G 7th flat 5 typically resolves to C major. The tritone between G and D♭ pulls strongly toward the C major chord.