Understand and Play the E7b5 Guitar Chord on Our Interactive Fretboard

Want a structured chord roadmap instead of jumping between pages?
Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

The E7b5 chord, E seventh flat five, has the notes E, G#, Bb and D. The Bb is the flat fifth, only a half step under the B you would find in a plain E7.

Each of the three listed voicings uses open strings, one also has a barre, and the lowest fret is the 1st. Play it near the microphone and the page shows whether each string sounds, which is a quick way to find a muted one. The notes are all contained in the E Lydian dominant scale, which makes it a colourful choice for melodies.

E 7th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as E7b5, E7(b5) or E7-5.

Notes in the E 7b5 chord:

E G# Bb D

Tones in the Dominant Seventh Flat five chord:

Formula: 1 3 b5 b7

E 7b5 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Open

Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Let the D string play without pressing any fret
Mute the B string
Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the A string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 1 of the G string

Position 2 Barre Open

Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the A and G strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the B string

Position 3 Open

Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 11 of the B string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 12 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the high E string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 13 of the G string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 7b5 | D 7b5 | E 7b5 | F 7b5 | G 7b5 | A 7b5 | B 7b5 | C#7b5 | D#7b5 | F#7b5 | G#7b5 | A#7b5 | Ab7b5 | Bb7b5 | Db7b5 | Eb7b5 | Gb7b5

Want to Learn Everything About Chords?

Check Chords Domination out: a unique ebook that shows you finger positions, note names and intervals in the chords (plus a tones fretboard maps)

You'll learn how to play 44 chords types across all the fretboard, with many voicings and fingerings

In the ebook you can also find maps show you the tones in a chord all along the fretboard. They are incredibly helpful because allow you to:

Create new voicings on the fly, across all the neck
Improvise targeting the right notes
Unlock the fretboard and expand the CAGED system.

In the new ebook, Chords Domination, you'll find the fretboard tones maps for 44 different qualities of chords. Check it out:

Download Free Excerpt Learn More Here

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

What notes are in E7b5?

E7b5 is E, G#, Bb and D. The Bb is the lowered fifth, a semitone under the B of E7.

How many voicings does E7b5 have, and which use open strings?

There are 3 voicings, from fret 1 to fret 13, and all 3 use open strings. One is a barre voicing.

Which scale goes with E seventh flat five?

The E whole-tone scale is E, F#, G#, A#, B# and D. It holds every chord pitch, with the chord's Bb written as A#.

What is the tritone in E7b5?

E and Bb are a tritone apart, and so are G# and D. Two tritones in one four-note chord give it a tense sound.

How is E7b5 different from E7?

E7 has E, G#, B and D. E7b5 lowers the B to Bb, a diminished fifth over the root.