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E♭ 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele (E♭7♭5)
Also called or written E♭7♭5, E♭, E♭ Dominant 7th Flat 5 or E♭ 7th ♭5
E♭ 7th flat 5 is built from E♭, G, B♭♭, and D♭. The 8th fret shape stacks three fingers in a row before the pinky reaches fret 10.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
How do you play an E♭ 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele?
E♭ 7th flat 5 is played at the 8th fret as 8 9 9 10: index finger on the G string at fret 8, middle finger on the C string at fret 9, ring finger on the E string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 9 | 2 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 9 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 10 | 4 | G (3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 10 cleanly while the ring finger holds fret 9 on the E string.
2nd fret
E♭ 7th flat 5 is played at the 2nd fret as 2 3 3 4: index finger on the G string at fret 2, middle finger on the C string at fret 3, ring finger on the E string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 2 | 1 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (3) |
| 1 (A) | 4 | 4 | D♭ (♭7) |
E♭7♭5/G inversion
E♭ 7th flat 5 is played at the 5th fret as 6 7 5 6: middle finger on the G string at fret 6, pinky finger on the C string at fret 7, index finger on the E string at fret 5 and ring finger on the A string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6 | 2 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 7 | 4 | G (3) |
| 2 (E) | 5 | 1 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 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 6th fret gives C♯ 7th flat 5.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 9th fret gives E 7th flat 5.
Which voicing to use
The 8th fret position keeps E♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The E♭7♭5/A inversion at the 2nd fret puts the ♭5 in the bass, while the E♭7♭5/C♯ inversion at the 6th fret emphasizes the ♭7.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ 7th flat 5 written?
E♭ 7th flat 5 is written as E♭7♭5 or E♭. The symbol E♭7♭5 is the most common, and the ASCII root is Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
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.