Chord & FretE(b5) — major flat five
Notes in E(b5): E – G# – BbFormula: 1 – 3 – b5In the formula, the numbers count steps of the major scale starting from the note that names the chord; "b" lowers a half step, "#" raises one — and a slash names the bass note.
It keeps the major third and lowers only the fifth by a semitone. It is the major triad seen through cracked glass: still recognisable, but something is out of true.
The same chord on all four instruments
Where to use it: A rare, modern colour; in practice it shows up far more with the seventh attached, as C7(b5), than on its own.
The shapes of E(b5) don't end on this page — the whole neck holds dozens. In Chord & Fret, you check it note by note, playing any shape as an arpeggio; open every variation on the neck, grouped by bass note; and set a capo — the diagrams redraw above it. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. Plays offline.
See the whole neck in Chord & Fret →Part of the Triads family.