Dominant seventh flat five chord
| Component intervals from root | |
|---|---|
| minor seventh | |
| diminished fifth (tritone) | |
| major third | |
| root | |
| Forte no. / | |
| 4-25 / |
In music theory, the dominant seventh flat five chord is a seventh chord composed of a root note, together with a major third, a diminished fifth and a minor seventh from root (1, ♮3, ♭5 and ♭7). For example,(C7♭5) is C–E–G♭–B♭. It can be represented by the integer notation {0, 4, 6, 10}.
This chord is enharmonically equivalent to its own second inversion. In other words, dominant 7th flat 5 chords share all the same notes as the dominant 7 flat 5 chord a tritone above them (although they may be spelled differently), so F♯7♭5 and C7♭5 contain the same notes. Because of this property, it readily functions as a pivot chord. It is also frequently encountered in tritone substitutions. In this sense there are only 6 truly "unique" dominant 7th flat 5 chords, in the same way that there are only 4 augmented chords, 3 diminished chords and 2 whole tone scales.
In diatonic harmony, the dominant seventh flat five chord does not naturally occur on any scale degree (as does, for example, the dominant seventh on the fifth scale degree: C7 in F major).
In jazz harmony The dominant seventh flat five may be considered an altered chord, created by diminishing the fifth of a dominant seventh chord, and may use the whole-tone scale,[1] as may the augmented minor seventh chord, or the Lydian ♭7 mode,[2] as well as most of the modes of the Neapolitan major scale, such as major Locrian, leading whole-tone, and Lydian minor.
In classical harmony, the chord is rarely seen spelled as a seventh chord, and is instead most commonly found as the enharmonically equivalent French sixth chord.
Dominant seventh flat five chord table
Chord Root Major third Diminished fifth Minor seventh C7♭5 C E G♭ B♭ C♯7♭5 C♯ E♯ (F) G B D♭7♭5 D♭ F A 
(G)
C♭ (B) D7♭5 D F♯ A♭ C D♯7♭5 D♯ F 
(G)
A C♯ E♭7♭5 E♭ G B (A)
D♭ E7♭5 E G♯ B♭ D F7♭5 F A C♭ (B) E♭ F♯7♭5 F♯ A♯ C E G♭7♭5 G♭ B♭ D (C)
F♭ (E) G7♭5 G B D♭ F G♯7♭5 G♯ B♯ (C) D F♯ A♭7♭5 A♭ C E (D)
G♭ A7♭5 A C♯ E♭ G A♯7♭5 A♯ C (D)
E G♯ B♭7♭5 B♭ D F♭ (E) A♭ B7♭5 B D♯ F A
7 flat five chords for guitarists
7 Flat 5 Chords for a guitar in Standard tuning. (left is the low E string, number is the fret, x means mute the string)
Ab7b5: xx6778
B7b5: x23245
C7b5: x34356
D7b5: xx0112
E7b5: 010130
F7b5: xx3445
G7b5: xx5667
See also
Sources
- ^ Manus and Hall (2008). Alfred's Basic Bass Scales & Modes/Alfred's Basic Bass Method, p.22/128. ISBN 0739055844/ISBN 0739055836.
- ^ Berle, Annie (1996). Contemporary Theory And Harmony, p.100-101. ISBN 0-8256-1499-6.
- ^ http://www.gootar.com/guitar/index.html
- ^ https://jguitar.com/chordsearch?chordsearch=Ab7b5
- ^ https://audiopologie.wordpress.com/the-official-guide-to-reading-chord-charts-in-space/
