B flat seventh sharp five (Bb7(#5)) chord on guitar

Notes: B♭DF♯A♭
Formula: 13♯5♭7

How to play Bb7(#5) on guitar

Shape 1 · 1st position
Shape 2 · fret 5 · barre
Shape 3 · fret 8
Shape 4 · fret 1 · barre
Shape 5 · fret 1 · barre
Shape 6 · fret 6 · barre

Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. x = do not play the string, o = open string. The coloured dot is the root (B flat). The same shapes work on acoustic, classical and electric guitar.

Bb7(#5) inversions on guitar

The same Bb7(#5) with another chord note in the bass (the lowest note that sounds). The notes stay the same, but the colour changes, and the bass line can move by step from one chord to the next. In a chord symbol, the bass comes after the slash.

3rd (D) in the bass1st inversion · Bb7(#5)/D
3rd (D) in the bass1st inversion · Bb7(#5)/D
5th (F♯) in the bass2nd inversion · Bb7(#5)/F#
5th (F♯) in the bass2nd inversion · Bb7(#5)/F#
7th (A♭) in the bass3rd inversion · Bb7(#5)/Ab
7th (A♭) in the bass3rd inversion · Bb7(#5)/Ab

About the seventh sharp five chord

A dominant chord with a raised fifth (also written +7 or aug7): the ♯5 rises a half step and pushes towards the 3rd of the next chord (G7♯5 → C: D♯ goes to E). A suspenseful sound, common in jazz, gospel, intros and passing chords; it fits the whole-tone scale.

Notes and intervals of Bb7(#5)

Bb7(#5) (B flat seventh sharp five) is built from 4 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:

B♭ · 1 · root
D · 3 · major third
F♯ · ♯5 · augmented fifth
A♭ · ♭7 · minor seventh

Other B flat chords

Seventh sharp five: other roots

Frequently asked questions

How do you play the Bb7(#5) chord on guitar?

Bb7(#5) (B flat seventh sharp five) has 6 fingerings on this page, from easiest to hardest. Each diagram shows the fingers, the open strings (o) and the strings you do not play (x), and you can hear every shape.

What notes are in Bb7(#5)?

The notes of Bb7(#5) are B♭, D, F♯, A♭. The formula is 1 · 3 · ♯5 · ♭7: root, major third, augmented fifth, minor seventh.

What does Bb7(#5) mean?

Bb7(#5) is the chord symbol for B flat seventh sharp five. A dominant chord with a raised fifth (also written +7 or aug7): the ♯5 rises a half step and pushes towards the 3rd of the next chord (G7♯5 → C: D♯ goes to E). A suspenseful sound, common in jazz, gospel, intros and passing chords; it fits the whole-tone scale.

Bb7(#5) on other instruments

All guitar chords