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E 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele (E7♭5)
Also called or written E7♭5, E, E Dominant 7th Flat 5 or E 7th ♭5
E 7th flat 5 is built from E, G♯, B♭, and D. The 9th fret shape stacks three fingers in a row before the pinky reaches fret 11.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionE–G♯–B♭–DE7♭53-4-4-5
- First inversionG♯–B♭–D–EE7♭5/G♯7-8-6-7
- Second inversionB♭–D–E–G♯E7♭5/B♭9-10-10-11
- Third inversionD–E–G♯–B♭E7♭5/D1-2-0-1
How do you play an E 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele?
E 7th flat 5 is played at the 9th fret as 9 10 10 11: index finger on the G string at fret 9, middle finger on the C string at fret 10, ring finger on the E string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 9 | 1 | E (1) |
| 3 (C) | 10 | 2 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 10 | 3 | D (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 4 | G♯ (3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 11 cleanly while the ring finger holds fret 10 on the E string.
E7♭5/D inversion
E 7th flat 5 is played in open position as 1 2 0 1: index finger on the G string at fret 1, ring finger on the C string at fret 2 and middle finger on the A string at fret 1. The E string rings open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1 | 1 | G♯ (3) |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 3 | D (♭7) |
| 2 (E) | open | — | E (1) |
| 1 (A) | 1 | 2 | B♭ (♭5) |
3rd fret
E 7th flat 5 is played at the 3rd fret as 3 4 4 5: index finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the C string at fret 4, ring finger on the E string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 1 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 4 | 2 | E (1) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 3 | G♯ (3) |
| 1 (A) | 5 | 4 | D (♭7) |
E7♭5/G♯ inversion
E 7th flat 5 is played at the 6th fret as 7 8 6 7: middle finger on the G string at fret 7, pinky finger on the C string at fret 8, index finger on the E string at fret 6 and ring finger on the A string at fret 7.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7 | 2 | D (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 4 | G♯ (3) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 1 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 7 | 3 | E (1) |
Why it sounds like that
E 7th flat 5 uses the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between E and B♭ gives the chord its tense color. Compare it to E 7th, which raises that B♭ to B.
What goes wrong with E 7th flat 5?
- Letting the pinky flatten onto the A string, which buzzes the note.
- Pressing the ring finger too far across, deadening the C string.
- Strumming before the middle finger is fully seated on the C string.
When to use it
E 7th flat 5 works as a tense dominant in E major, especially moving to E major or E 5th. Its altered fifth suits jazz and funk lines where a plain E 7th sounds too settled.
Changing to and from E 7th flat 5
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 7th fret gives D 7th flat 5.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 10th fret gives F 7th flat 5.
Which voicing to use
The 9th fret position keeps E in the bass for a root-position sound. The E7♭5/G♯ inversion at the 1st fret puts the major third in the bass, while the E7♭5/B♭ inversion at the 3rd fret emphasizes the ♭5.
Other E chords
Common questions
How is E 7th flat 5 written?
E 7th flat 5 is written as E7♭5 or E. The symbol E7♭5 is the most common.
What is the difference between E 7th flat 5 and E 7th?
E 7th flat 5 lowers the fifth from B to B♭, creating a diminished fifth. E 7th keeps the perfect fifth B.
Why does E 7th flat 5 sound unstable?
The diminished fifth between E and B♭ is a tritone, which wants to resolve. This tension makes the chord useful before a tonic.