Tools / Chords / B♭ 7th sharp 5

B♭ 7th sharp 5 chord on ukulele (B♭7♯5)

Also written B♭7♯5, B♭ or B♭ Dominant 7th ♯5

Ukulele · B♭7♯5/D inversion

B♭ 7th sharp 5 is built from B♭, D, F♯, and A♭. The 1st-fret shape demands a wide stretch across all four strings.

B♭7♯5/D inversion1-2-2-1

Positions on the neck1 of 3

How it’s built

B♭1Root

D3Major 3rd

F♯♯5Augmented 5th

A♭♭7Minor 7th

Formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7

Positions on the neck1 of 3

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionB♭–D–F♯–A♭B♭7♯5Bass B♭

First inversionD–F♯–A♭–B♭B♭7♯5/DBass D

Second inversionF♯–A♭–B♭–DB♭7♯5/F♯Bass F♯

Third inversionA♭–B♭–D–F♯B♭7♯5/A♭Bass A♭

Why it sounds like that

B♭ 7th sharp 5 combines a major 3rd, an augmented 5th, and a minor 7th. The augmented 5th F♯ distinguishes it from B♭ 7th, which uses F natural. A tritone occurs between D and A♭.

What goes wrong with B♭ 7th sharp 5?

Letting the ring finger collapse onto the E string, muting it.
Failing to press the A string firmly enough, causing a buzz.

When to use it

B♭ 7th sharp 5 fits jazz and blues progressions where a dominant chord needs extra tension. Use the supplied linked chords to hear its tension without adding unsupported harmony. Its tense, bright quality suits moments of harmonic surprise.

Changing to and from B♭ 7th sharp 5

Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives B 7th sharp 5.
Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives C 7th sharp 5.

Which voicing to use

The 1st-fret voicing has D in the bass, giving a second-inversion sound. The 10th-fret shape places B♭ in the bass for a root-position voicing. The F♯ inversion at the 3rd fret adds a brighter edge.

How do you play a B♭ 7th sharp 5 chord on ukulele?

B♭7♯5/D inversion

Intermediate● On the diagram

B♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 1st fret as 1 2 2 1: index finger on the G string at fret 1, ring finger on the C string at fret 2, pinky finger on the E string at fret 2 and middle finger on the A string at fret 1.

Tip — The 1st-fret shape requires a wide stretch between the index finger on the G string and the pinky on the E string.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	1	1	A♭ (♭7)
3 (C)	2	3	D (3)
2 (E)	2	4	F♯ (♯5)
1 (A)	1	2	B♭ (1)

B♭7♯5/F♯ inversion

Intermediate

B♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 3rd fret as 3 6 4 5: index finger on the G string at fret 3, pinky finger on the C string at fret 6, middle finger on the E string at fret 4 and ring finger on the A string at fret 5.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	3	1	B♭ (1)
3 (C)	6	4	F♯ (♯5)
2 (E)	4	2	A♭ (♭7)
1 (A)	5	3	D (3)

10th fret

Intermediate

B♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 10th fret as 11 10 10 11: ring finger on the G string at fret 11, index finger on the C string at fret 10, middle finger on the E string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 11.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	11	3	F♯ (♯5)
3 (C)	10	1	B♭ (1)
2 (E)	10	2	D (3)
1 (A)	11	4	A♭ (♭7)

Common questions

How is B♭ 7th sharp 5 written?

B♭ 7th sharp 5 is written as B♭7♯5 or Bb7♯5. It is also called B♭ dominant 7th sharp 5. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.

What is the difference between B♭ 7th and B♭ 7th sharp 5?

B♭ 7th contains F natural, while B♭ 7th sharp 5 raises that note to F♯. The raised fifth creates a more dissonant, tense sound.

Why does the 1st-fret shape feel so stretched?

The 1st-fret shape spans four frets across the strings, requiring a wide reach. The pinky on the E string at fret 2 is the hardest part to hold cleanly.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

A♭ (♭7)

3 (C)

D (3)

2 (E)

F♯ (♯5)

1 (A)

B♭ (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

B♭ (1)

3 (C)

F♯ (♯5)

2 (E)

A♭ (♭7)

1 (A)

D (3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

F♯ (♯5)

3 (C)

B♭ (1)

2 (E)

D (3)

1 (A)

A♭ (♭7)