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F 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele (F7♭5)
Also called or written F7♭5, F, F Dominant 7th Flat 5 or F 7th ♭5
F 7th flat 5 is built from F, A, C♭, and E♭. The 10th fret shape stacks three fingers in a row before the pinky reaches fret 12.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionF–A–C♭–E♭F7♭54-5-5-6
- First inversionA–C♭–E♭–FF7♭5/A8-9-7-8
- Second inversionC♭–E♭–F–AF7♭5/C♭10-11-11-12
- Third inversionE♭–F–A–C♭F7♭5/E♭2-3-1-2
How do you play an F 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele?
F 7th flat 5 is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 11 12: index finger on the G string at fret 10, middle finger on the C string at fret 11, ring finger on the E string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10 | 1 | F (1) |
| 3 (C) | 11 | 2 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 11 | 3 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 12 | 4 | A (3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 12 cleanly while the ring finger holds fret 11 on the E string.
F7♭5/E♭ inversion
F 7th flat 5 is played at the 1st fret as 2 3 1 2: middle finger on the G string at fret 2, pinky finger on the C string at fret 3, index finger on the E string at fret 1 and ring finger on the A string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (3) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 4 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (1) |
| 1 (A) | 2 | 3 | C♭ (♭5) |
4th fret
F 7th flat 5 is played at the 4th fret as 4 5 5 6: index finger on the G string at fret 4, middle finger on the C string at fret 5, ring finger on the E string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 4 | 1 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 2 | F (1) |
| 2 (E) | 5 | 3 | A (3) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 4 | E♭ (♭7) |
F7♭5/A inversion
F 7th flat 5 is played at the 7th fret as 8 9 7 8: middle finger on the G string at fret 8, pinky finger on the C string at fret 9, index finger on the E string at fret 7 and ring finger on the A string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8 | 2 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 9 | 4 | A (3) |
| 2 (E) | 7 | 1 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 3 | F (1) |
Why it sounds like that
F 7th flat 5 uses the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between F and C♭ gives the chord its tense color. Compare it to F 7th, which raises that C♭ to C.
What goes wrong with F 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
F 7th flat 5 works as a tense dominant in F major, especially moving to F major or F 5th. Its altered fifth suits jazz and funk lines where a plain F 7th sounds too settled.
Changing to and from F 7th flat 5
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 8th fret gives E♭ 7th flat 5.
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 9th fret gives E 7th flat 5.
Which voicing to use
The 10th fret position keeps F in the bass for a root-position sound. The F7♭5/A inversion at the 2nd fret puts the major third in the bass, while the F7♭5/C♭ inversion at the 4th fret emphasizes the ♭5.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F 7th flat 5 written?
F 7th flat 5 is written as F7♭5 or F. The symbol F7♭5 is the most common.
What is the difference between F 7th flat 5 and F 7th?
F 7th flat 5 lowers the fifth from C to C♭, creating a diminished fifth. F 7th keeps the perfect fifth C.
Why does F 7th flat 5 sound unstable?
The diminished fifth between F and C♭ is a tritone, which wants to resolve. This tension makes the chord useful before a tonic.