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E♭ 7th sharp 5 chord on ukulele (E♭7♯5)
Also called or written E♭7♯5, E♭ or E♭ Dominant 7th ♯5
E♭ 7th sharp 5 is built from E♭, G, B and D♭. The 4-3-3-4 grip is a mid-neck four-finger shape with a wide stretch.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7
How do you play an E♭ 7th sharp 5 chord on ukulele?
E♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 3rd fret as 4 3 3 4: ring finger on the G string at fret 4, index finger on the C string at fret 3, middle 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) | 4 | 3 | B (♯5) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 3 | 2 | G (3) |
| 1 (A) | 4 | 4 | D♭ (♭7) |
AdvancedThe four-finger stretch across frets 3 and 4, with the pinky reaching fret 4 on the A string, is the hardest part.
E♭7♯5/G inversion
E♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 6th fret as 6 7 7 6: index finger on the G string at fret 6, ring finger on the C string at fret 7, pinky finger on the E string at fret 7 and middle finger on the A string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6 | 1 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 7 | 3 | G (3) |
| 2 (E) | 7 | 4 | B (♯5) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ 7th sharp 5 stacks a major 3rd, an augmented 5th and a minor 7th over the root. The augmented 5th, B, is what separates it from E♭ 7th, whose 5th is B♭. That raised 5th creates a tritone with the 3rd, G, giving the chord its tense dominant colour.
What goes wrong with E♭ 7th sharp 5?
- Letting the pinky flatten onto the A string and deaden the note at fret 4.
- Not arching the ring finger enough, causing the G string at fret 4 to buzz.
When to use it
E♭ 7th sharp 5 works as a tense dominant in jazz or blues, especially over E♭ aeolian dominant or E♭ altered scales. Use it to add tension before resolving to E♭ major.
Changing to and from E♭ 7th sharp 5
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 2nd fret gives D 7th sharp 5.
Which voicing to use
The default E♭7♯5/B inversion puts the augmented 5th, B, in the bass, which makes the chord sound unstable and restless. The E♭7♯5/D♭ inversion, with the ♭7 in the bass, is higher and slightly brighter.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ 7th sharp 5 written?
E♭ 7th sharp 5 is written as E♭7♯5 or E♭. The ASCII root is Eb, so Eb7#5 also works. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ 7th sharp 5 and E♭ augmented?
E♭ augmented has no 7th: it is E♭, G and B. E♭ 7th sharp 5 adds the minor 7th, D♭, which makes it a dominant chord rather than a pure augmented triad.
Why does E♭ 7th sharp 5 sound so tense?
The augmented 5th, B, forms a tritone with the 3rd, G. That tritone is the engine of dominant tension, pulling the chord toward its resolution.