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Chord & Fret

F7(b5) — dominant seventh flat five

Notes in F7(b5): F – A – Cb – EbFormula: 1 – 3 – b5 – b7

In 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.

Here the fifth drops a semitone and the chord turns ambiguous on purpose: the same four notes serve two distant dominants (C7(b5) and F#7(b5)). That coincidence is the door to the tritone substitution.

The same chord on all four instruments

F7(b5), 1 2 1 2 x 1F7(b5)12131FBEbA×F
Guitar
F7(b5), 1 2 1 2 x 1F7(b5)12131FBEbA×F
Electric guitar
F7(b5), 3 2 0 1F7(b5)321FABEb
Cavaquinho
F7(b5), 2 3 1 2F7(b5)2413AEbFB
Ukulele

Where to use it: Jazz, bossa and turnarounds — the natural step toward swapping one dominant for another.

This is just one shape of F7(b5). In Chord & Fret, you hear every shape strummed string by string, in each instrument's own voice; compare positions with their difficulty marked; and change the tuning — the shape rewrites itself. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. Plays offline.

See the whole neck in Chord & Fret →

Part of the Sevenths family.

Other chords in this family

Fmaj7Fmaj7Fmaj7Fmaj7F7F7F7F7Fm7Fm7Fm7Fm7Fm(maj7)Fm7(b5)Fdim7F7(#5)

See all chord types and qualities →