Explore chords · Ukulele
G 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele (G7♭5)
Also called or written G7♭5, G, G Dominant 7th Flat 5 or G 7th ♭5
G 7th flat 5 is built from G, B, D♭, and F. The open position uses an open G string with fretted notes on the other three strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionG–B–D♭–FG7♭56-7-7-8
- First inversionB–D♭–F–GG7♭5/B10-11-9-10
- Second inversionD♭–F–G–BG7♭5/D♭0-1-1-2
- Third inversionF–G–B–D♭G7♭5/F4-5-3-4
How do you play a G 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele?
G 7th flat 5 is played in open position as 0 1 1 2: index finger on the C string at fret 1, middle finger on the E string at fret 1 and ring finger on the A string at fret 2. The G string rings open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | open | — | G (1) |
| 3 (C) | 1 | 1 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 2 | F (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 2 | 3 | B (3) |
AdvancedThe open G string must ring clearly while the index and middle fingers hold adjacent frets on the C and E strings.
G7♭5/F inversion
G 7th flat 5 is played at the 3rd fret as 4 5 3 4: middle finger on the G string at fret 4, pinky finger on the C string at fret 5, index finger on the E string at fret 3 and ring finger on the A string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 4 | 2 | B (3) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 4 | F (♭7) |
| 2 (E) | 3 | 1 | G (1) |
| 1 (A) | 4 | 3 | D♭ (♭5) |
6th fret
G 7th flat 5 is played at the 6th fret as 6 7 7 8: index finger on the G string at fret 6, middle finger on the C string at fret 7, ring finger on the E string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6 | 1 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 7 | 2 | G (1) |
| 2 (E) | 7 | 3 | B (3) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 4 | F (♭7) |
G7♭5/B inversion
G 7th flat 5 is played at the 9th fret as 10 11 9 10: middle finger on the G string at fret 10, pinky finger on the C string at fret 11, index finger on the E string at fret 9 and ring finger on the A string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 11 | 4 | B (3) |
| 2 (E) | 9 | 1 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 10 | 3 | G (1) |
Why it sounds like that
G 7th flat 5 uses the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between G and D♭ gives the chord its tense color. Compare it to G 7th, which raises that D♭ to D.
What goes wrong with G 7th flat 5?
- Letting the index finger touch the open G string, muting it.
- Pressing the middle finger too far across, deadening the C string.
- Strumming before the ring finger is fully seated on the A string.
When to use it
G 7th flat 5 works as a tense dominant in G major, especially moving to G major or G 5th. Its altered fifth suits jazz and funk lines where a plain G 7th sounds too settled.
Changing to and from G 7th flat 5
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 1st fret gives A♭ 7th flat 5.
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 2nd fret gives A 7th flat 5.
Which voicing to use
The open position keeps G in the bass for a root-position sound. The G7♭5/B inversion at the 4th fret puts the major third in the bass, while the G7♭5/D♭ inversion at the 6th fret emphasizes the ♭5.
Other G chords
Common questions
How is G 7th flat 5 written?
G 7th flat 5 is written as G7♭5 or G. The symbol G7♭5 is the most common.
What is the difference between G 7th flat 5 and G 7th?
G 7th flat 5 lowers the fifth from D to D♭, creating a diminished fifth. G 7th keeps the perfect fifth D.
Why does G 7th flat 5 sound unstable?
The diminished fifth between G and D♭ is a tritone, which wants to resolve. This tension makes the chord useful before a tonic.