7b5 chords, scales & modes in music

The diminished 5th interval, otherwise known as the trione, is the basis for 7b5 chords. A dominant 7b5 chord is the same as a dominant 7th (7, 9, 13, 7♭9, 7#9, etc.) except the perfect 5th is lowered by a semitone. Read my Music Intervals article if you are unfamiliar with intervals, specifically the diminished fifth or tritone interval.

You can view all b5 chords as built on the Maj ♭5 chord, though I’ve only seen that chord in one song – Great Gig in the Sky by Pink Floyd. But first, let’s look at the tritone, the Maj ♭5 and maj7♭5 chords before diving into the dominant 7♭5 chords.

Tritone interval & Tritone substitution

The tritone is a unique interval. It is the only interval that inverts to itself. All other intervals invert to their corresponding opposite. An interval inversion is when you take the lower note and raise it by an octave making it the 2nd note of an interval.

Let’s pick the intervals of a 3rd and 6th and compare it to the diminished 5th (tritone) interval.

C major scale: C-D-E-F-G-B-C

C to E is a major 3rd (M3) and it inverts to E to C which is a minor 6th (m6) interval.

A to C is a minor 3rd (m3) and it inverts to C to A which is a major 6th (M6) interval.

The tritone in the key of C major is between the notes F and B. If you invert that interval to B and F then it is still a tritone. Hopefully, you notice those two notes are in the dominant 7th chord for C major, G7.

A tritone substitution for a G7 chord is D♭7, the dominant 7th chord a tritone away from the note G. D♭7 does resolve to a C major chord, but the tendency to resolve to C is stronger when it has altered chord tones: ♭9, #9, ♭5, #5, etc.

The major b5 chord and related chords

The major b5 chord is not really a chord or at least one I would never bother using. However, it is the base chord for every 7b5 chord so it’s a good idea to take a look at it before moving to the dominant 7b5 chords.

Lydian sounding major b5 chords

The notes and intervals in the Maj ♭5 chord are found in all 7b5 chords, and the maj7b5 chord is a common Lydian chord though the maj7##11 is more common.

Maj ♭5 chord

Chord intervals: root, major 3rd, diminished 5th = 1-M3-d5 = 1-3-♭5
Chord tendency: works best as a Lydian chord, e.g. Fmaj ♭5 (F-A-B) > C

maj7♭5 chord

Chord intervals: root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, major 7th = 1-M3-d5-M7 = 1-3-♭5-7
Chord tendency: Another Lydian chord, Fmaj7♭5 (F-A-B-E) > C

So those two are Lydian type ♭5 chords but they are not the focus of this article. I just wanted to introduce you to those possible chords in case you ever encounter them. By the way, the add#11 is a better choice than the Maj ♭5 chord.

Dominant 7b5, 9b5 & 13b5 chords

The following 3 chords are similar to the dominant 7, 9 and 13 chords but they obviously have a diminished 5th rather than a perfect fifth. The 7b5 is the most common and it sounds pretty good. I also like the 13b5 chord but the 9b5 is too nasty for me.

Here is a chart that describes the symbols on my chord and scale diagrams:

7b5 chord

Chord intervals: root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th = 1-M3-d5-m7 = 1-3-♭5-♭7
Equivalent chord: equals 7♭5 on the ♭5, G7♭5 = D♭7♭5 (symmetrical chord)
Chord tendency: resolves to the ♭9, 4, 5 and M7 but also to the ♭5, G7♭5 > A♭, C, D, F#, and D♭

I marked both the root and flat 5th white because either one can be the root of the chord.

9♭5 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd = 1-M3-d5-m7-M2 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-9
Equivalent chord: equals 7♭5♭13 on the ♭5, and 9#5 on the 9, G9♭5 = D♭7♭5♭13 = A9#5
Chord tendency: same as 7♭5 but also to every chromatic major chord except the M3 and m6, so no B or E♭ for G.

13♭5 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, major 6th = 1-M3-d5-m7-M6 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-13
Equivalent chord: equals 7♭5#9 on the ♭5, G13♭5 = D♭7♭5#9
Chord tendency: same as 7♭5 but also the ♭7

Dominant 7b5 chords with altered extensions

Here are 6 more 7b5 chords but with either a ♭9, #9, ♭13. or 13 interval added The 9♭5♭13 and 13♭5#9 are interesting chords in that they are composed of 3 different tritone intervals.

7♭5♭9 chord

Chord intervals: root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, minor 2nd = 1-M3-d5-m7-m2 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-♭9
Equivalent chord: equals a 7#11 on the ♭5, G7♭5♭9 = D♭7#11
Chord tendency: resolves best to ♭9, 4, 5 and M7 but also to ♭5 and ♭6, so G7♭5♭9 > A♭, C, D, and F# but also D♭ and E♭.

7♭5#9 chord

Chord intervals: root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, augmented 2nd = 1-M3-d5-m7-A2 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-#9
Equivalent chord: equals 13♭5 on the ♭5, G7♭5#9 = D♭13♭5
Chord tendency: same as 7♭5♭9

7♭5♭13 chord

Chord intervals: root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, minor 6th = 1-M3-d5-m7-m6 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-♭13
Equivalent chord: equals 9♭5 on the ♭5 and 9#5 on the ♭13, G7♭5♭13 = D♭9♭5 = E♭9#5
Chord tendency: resolves to the ♭9, 4, 5 and M7, G7♭5♭13 > A♭, C, D, and F#

9♭5♭13 chord

Chord intervals: root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd, minor 6th = 1-M3-d5-m7-M2-m6 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-9-♭13 (all 6 notes of the whole tone scale).
Equivalent chord: equals a 9♭5♭13 on each chord tone, G9♭5♭13 = A, B, D♭, E♭ & F9♭5♭13
Chord tendency: Every key! Six strongest by tritone and the other six keys somehow else. Like the whole tone scale, there are only two possible chords.

13♭5♭9 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, major 6th, minor 2nd = 1-M3-d5-m7-M6-m2 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-13-♭9
Equivalent chord: equals a 7#9#11 on the ♭5, G13♭5♭9 = D♭7#9#11
Chord tendency: same as 9♭5♭13

13♭5#9 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, major 6th, augmented 2nd = 1-M3-d5-m7-M6-A2 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-13-#9
Equivalent chord: equals a 13♭5#9 on the ♭5, G13♭5#9 = D♭13♭5#9 (symmetrical chord)
Chord tendency: same as 9♭5♭13

7b5 scales & modes

There are 3 scales I use that build dominant 7b5 chords. I’m sure there are other scales that build these chords, but I only build chords from what I view as the most common scales for building chords:

major, harmonic minor, melodic minor, whole tone, augmented and diminished scales.

Only two of those scales build dominant 7b5 chords. There are also 2 modes of the melodic minor that build some 7b5 chords.

Whole Tone scale

Most people think augmented chords when you mention the whole tone scale, but you can build a number of ♭5 chords. There are 6 scale degrees in the scale each separated by a whole step or whole tone.

G whole tone scale: G-A-B-C#/D♭-D#/E♭-F

Each scale degree builds the following 7b5 chords: 7♭5, 9♭5, 7♭5♭13, 9♭5♭13.

This scale is obviously great over 7b5 chords, and since it is symmetrical, you only need to memorize one scale pattern.

When it comes to scales I keep it simple. I’m a fan of Duane Allman, Jerry Garcia, Eric Clapton, and other similar guitar players. So for non-standard chords and scales, I stick to arpeggios and easy-to-play “boxes” of a scale (think BB box). Here is a full whole scale followed by the box shape I use:

Half-Whole Diminished Scale scale

Thus is an 8-note scale (octatonic) that builds major, minor, diminished and 7b5 chords. Here is an example of the scale degrees in G:

G Half-Whole Diminished Scale: G-A♭-A#/B♭-B-C#/D♭-D-E-F

Here is a list of the 7b5 chords you can build from the scale: 7♭5, 7♭5♭9, 7♭5#9, 13♭5, 13♭5♭9, 13♭5#9.

I sue this easy to play 4-fret box shape of the HW diminished scale:

Lydian Dominant: 4th mode of the Melodic minor scale

The name of the mode tells you that it build dominant 7th chords but also has an augmented 4th interval. You can replace the perfect 5th of the dom7 chords with the augmented 4th interval and the result is a 7b5 chord. Hee are the notes in A melodic minor and D Lydian Dominant:

A Melodic minor: A-B-C-D-E-F#-G#

D Lydian Dominant: D-E-F#-G#-A-B-C

You can build the following b5 chord on the Lydian dom mode: 7♭5, 9♭5, 13♭5.

The Altered scale

This is a common jazz scale that is actually the 7th mode of the melodic minor and is where the name for 7alt chords omes from. It would be built on the G# of A Melodic minor:

G# Altered scale: G#-A-B-C-D-E-F#

You can build the following b5 chords: 7♭5, 7♭5♭9, 7♭5#9, 7♭5♭13.

Here re the scale patterns for the altered scale:

When to use 7b5 chords

Use the chord tendencies I mentioned above as a chord going to the tonic chord. Otherwise, use them to add a unique sound to your chord progressions, These chords will give you some interesting arpeggios and allow you to try riffs from the various scales that build them, Bassline voice leading is another reason. For example, Dm7 > D♭7♭5 > Cmaj7 (or C6, C6/9) creates a chromatic line leading to C major.

Final Thoughts

7b5 chords are advanced chords but they can add a unique sound to your music.  You won’t know until you try them, so try the chord shapes above with their strongest tritone tendencies that each chord has: to the ♭9, 4, 5 or M7 chord. Take a look at the Wikipedia Tritone page for additional insights into the b5 interval.

The post Dominant 7b5 Chords, Scales & Modes appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

The 7♭5#9 chord in detail

This chord differs from a dominant 7th chord in that it has a diminished 5th and an augmented 9th. The root, major 3rd, and minor \ flat 7th is the same as for the dominant 7th chord

Dominant 7th intervals: root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th = R-M3-P5-m7 = 1-3-5-7

7♭5#9 intervals: root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, augmented 9th = R-M3-d5-m7-A9 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-#9
Chord equivalent: 7♭5#9 = 13♭5 on the ♭5, for example, D♭7♭5#9 = G13♭5
D♭7♭5#9 tendency: this chord resolves best to C, D, G♭, A♭ and unbelievably to G and A.

7♭5♭9/#9 intervals: root, major 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, diminished 9th, augmented 9th = R-M3-d5-m7-d9-A9 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-♭9-#9
Chord equivalent: 7♭5♭9/#9 = 13#11 on the ♭5, or D♭7♭5♭9/#9 = G13#11
D♭7♭5♭9/#9 tendency: same as for the D♭7♭5#9 chord.

The 7alt chord: What is it?

The “alt” of 7alt comes from the altered scale, the 7th mode of the melodic minor scale. It is basically a dominant 7th chord that has non-diatonic chord tones.

The strictest definition is that 7alt chords have both an altered 9th and an altered 5th leaving only 4 possible chords. I like to think of them as 2 7♭5 chords and 2 7#5 chords

7♭5♭9, 7♭5#9

7#5♭9, 7#5#9

However, I like to add to that list, dominant seventh chords with an altered 5th OR an altered 9th, which adds the following chords to the ones above:

7♭5, 7#5, 7♭9, & 7#9.

But why stop there? You could also include dominant 7th chords with a #11 or ♭13:

7#11, 7♭13, 7♭9♭13, etc.

Check out the Wikipedia article on the Altered Chord for an inclusive and in-depth view of the subject.

In that article, it mentions the possibility of including both the ♭5 and\or #5 and ♭9 and\or #9. That is 4 altered chord tones plus the 3 tones common to all dominant chords: the root, major 3rd and flat 7.

I do have voicings for the 7♭5♭9/#9, 7#5♭9/#9 and 7♭9/#9 chords. But I never consider including both altered 5ths. Here is what you get with both 5ths and one of the altered 9ths (max for a 6-string guitar):

7alt with both ♭5 & #5 and ♭9 = 9#11 on ♭5. In D♭, I guess you would name that chord Db7#5b9#11 and it would actually equal a G9#11.

7alt with both ♭5 & #5 and #9 = 9♭13 on #5. For D♭ that would be D♭7#5#9#11 which equals an A9♭13, not a chord I’m aware of, so I guess that would be a unique chord. I’ll find some voicings for it in a later article.

Open D♭7♭5#9 and closed 7♭5#9 guitar chord shapes

Here are the chord tones for the 2 D♭ chords:

D♭7♭5#9 = D♭-F-G-B-E, where the flat 5th G is actually A♭♭ and the flat 7, is actually C♭.
D♭7♭5♭9/#9 = D♭-F-G-B-D-E and technically the ♭9 is E♭♭.

Here is a chord diagram of the symbols I use in my chord blocks:

 

 

 

Notes on the chord voicings:

D♭7♭5#9: For the second closed shape, I put a 5-string barre even though you only need to barre the bottom 4 strings – it’s easier to hold it that way. You could even barre all 6 if you find it hard to hold.  #1 & #2 for the open chords sound identical unless you fret the optional note on the high E string of #2 which sounds super eerie. I like #’s 2 & 3. #4 sounds bad but I only have 4 chord shapes so I included it anyway.

D♭7♭5♭9/#9: #’s 1 & 2 sound the best and #4 is a little hard to hold. I fret the E at the 12th fret of the high E string for #3 because it sounds better than the open string.

How to use the 7♭5#9 and 7♭5♭9/#9 chord

Both chords have 2 tritones in them, between the M3 and ♭7 and the root and flat 5. As a result, you get the 4 strong tendencies that I mention above. So let’s look at how to use these chords using a D♭7♭5#9 chord:

1) As a leading tone chord to a D major chord

2) As a flat V of V substitution to C major. I like to call this chord substitution the ♭9 dom7 chord.

3) And finally, these two chords also resolve to the flat 5 of both C & D: G♭ and A♭.

So #’s 1 & 2 are straightforward if you ask me. But the 3rd tendency is interesting. You can make a radical key change to the tritone and do it smoothly. And of course, that could be a temporary key change where you go back to the original key with the V7 chord or another 7♭5#9 chord.

Mess around and find something you like. I also noticed, that the D♭ 7♭5#9 chord also seems to resolve to both G major and A major which is odd. Try it out for yourself and let me know if you disagree.

The tendency for both chords in roman numerals with the 7♭5#9 chord as I is to ♭II, IV, ♭V, V, #V, and VII. Hopefully, that makes sense to you.

Final Thoughts

Try out the 7♭5#9 chord if you want to add some nasty tension in your songs and give your lead guitar player some juicy notes for his riffs. Also, check out the other 2 articles I have on 7alt chords:

7♭5♭9 and 7#11 chords in G & D♭

G7#5#9 Guitar Chords

I hope you found some useful chord voicings and a clearer understanding of 7 alt chords. Have fun jamming, experimenting, and writing!

The post 8 Open D♭7♭5#9 & 3 Closed 7♭5#9 Guitar Chord Voicings appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

It just so happens that a 7♭5♭9 chord equals a 7#11 on the flatted 5th. As an example, the notes in G7♭5♭9 are the same as in a D♭7#11. I cover the 7♭5♭9 and 7#11 chords for the keys of G and D♭.

The 7♭5♭9 & 7#11 chords in detail

The 7♭5♭9 chord is one of the 7alt chords used in jazz. 7alt chords are defined as a dominant 7th chord (major 3rd & flat 7) that have an altered 5th AND an altered 9th. Which means there are only 4 of them:

7♭5♭9
7♭5#9
7#5♭9
7#5#9

Check out my article on the G7#5#9 chord and the handful of closed and open chord shapes for a 7#5#9 chord.

I like to make up my own definitions, so I define altered 7th’s as any chord with a major 3rd and a flat 7th (dom7) that has an altered 9th, 11th, 5th, OR 13th. The available altered chord tones would then be ♭9, #9, #11, ♭5, #5 or ♭13.

That definition adds a lot more chords to the “altered” 7th category. You can also look at it as any dominant 7th chord that can not be built from the major scale. There are only 4 dominant chords that can be built from a major scale and none of them have altered 5ths or extensions: 7, 9, 11 & 13.

I bring up my definition of altered 7ths because the 7♭5♭9 chord is equal to a 7#11 on the flat 5. Here are the chords in detail:

G7♭5♭9 chord

Chord tones: G-B-D♭-F-A♭
Chord intervals: R-M3-d5-m7-m2 = 1-3-♭5-♭7-♭9
Alternate names: 7alt, 7 (♭5, ♭9), 7♭5(♭9), 7 flat 5 flat 9, 7 ♭5 ♭9, 7(♭5,♭9),
Equals: D♭7#11
Scales that build a 7♭5♭9: 7th-degree melodic minor (Altered scale), and the tonic of the HW diminished scale
Resolve tendency: m2, M2, P4, P5, m7, and M7. Or for G7♭5♭9, that would be A♭ the ♭9, A the 9, C the 4th, D the 5th, F the ♭7, and F# the major 7th. You also look at the resolve tendency as down or up a semitone AND whole tone from the root, as well as to the IV & V. This chord has a lot of tendencies. The tritones point to D, E, A♭, & B♭ and they have the strongest resolution.

Db7#11 chord

Chord tones: D♭-F-A♭-C♭-G
Chord intervals: R-M3-P5-m7-A4 = 1-3-5-♭7-#11
Alternate names: 7+11, 7(#11), 7(+11) ,7 sharp 11, dom7(#11)
Equals: G7♭5♭9
Scales that build a 7#11: 4th-degree melodic minor (Lydian Dominant), and the tonic of the HW diminished scale
Resolve tendency: Same as the 7♭5♭9  chord

The Half-step Whole-step diminished scale would be a great choice for either chord and of course the appropriate melodic minor modes.

The 7#11 versus the 7♭5 chord

A lot of people call a 7♭5 chord a 7#11. With that logic, a 7#5 is a 7♭13. Yes, they sound and perform similarly but they are not the same chord. Here is the main point: since a 7#11 equals a 7♭5♭9 on the #11, you can’t call a 7#11 without a 5th (aka, 7♭5) a 7♭5♭9. Understand?

Why would you call a 7♭5 a 7#11?

The 1st note that gets dropped in chords is the perfect 5th, but you would never drop an altered 5th. Can you imagine someone calling a chord in their song a 7#5 no fifth? You can play a dom7 without the 5th, but you assume that it’s the perfect 5th that was dropped.

That same logic dictates that you can’t, or should not, drop the perfect 5th in a chord that has either a #11 or a ♭13. The reason should be obvious.

Just call a 7♭5 a 7♭5, not a 7#11.

Closed & Open 7♭5♭9 guitar chord shapes for G & D♭

I have 3 closed chord shapes, 2 open for G and 4 open for D♭. I do have 3 voicings for a 7♭5♭9 without the 3rd which is equal to an add#11 chord, but I’ll leave them for another article maybe.

Here is a chord diagram of the symbols I use in my chord blocks:

 

 

Notes on the 7♭5♭9 chord voicings:

CLOSED: I like #1 & #3 the best. #2 shows barring all 6 strings even though the 6th string is not played – it’s easier to hold that way.

OPEN: #2 G7♭5♭9 is hard and really dissonant – you can drop the B on the low E. And since the bass note is not the root, this is also a voicing for a D♭7#11. I prefer all the 7♭5♭9 except #1 for G and #3 for D♭.

Closed & open 7#11 guitar chord shapes for G & D♭

I have 3 closed chord shapes, 3 open for G and 1 open for D♭.

 

Notes on the 7#11 chord voicings:

CLOSED: #3 is the same voicing as #3 closed for 7♭5♭9. I like #1 & 3 but #2 is difficult to hold.

OPEN: I like all the open voicings except #3 for G.

Final Thoughts

If you ask me, these are some “nasty” chords, but they sound good once you get used to their dissonance. Jazz players can make any chord sound good for various reasons I won’t get into.

This site is about every guitar chord with the point of using the chords in original songs. If you play jazz, then hopefully I showed you some new voicings.

If you are a singer-songwriter, then you can try the 7♭5♭9 or 7#11 in blues tunes. They sound good for the I, IV or V chords, but the tonic chord (I chord) makes the most sense given the flat 5 in a blues scale.

But take another look at the resolution tendency for the chords and then play around with substituting them. Or use either chord as a substitute for the V7 chord in your song. They may just give you a nasty sound that makes the return to the I chord more interesting.

For more in-depth information of 7alt chords, take a look at the Wikipedia Altered Chord page or Matt Warnock Altered Scale article.

The post 16 7#11 & 7b5b9 Guitar Chord Shapes (G & Db) appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

In this article, I go over the C whole tone scale, the chords that can be built from the notes and practical application of the scale when playing leads.

I also list examples of songs that use chords from the whole tone scale and I include augmented 7th and 7♭5 guitar chord shapes, both closed and open chords in the key of E.

C whole tone scale: examples of when and how to use the scale & chords

The whole tone scale is a unique and difficult scale for beginner guitar players. It is not the most widely used scale in everyday popular music but you can get some nice chords and riffs from the scale. Let me go over the obligatory points of the scale that you will see in every other article:

• The whole tone scale is a symmetrical scale which means the intervals that make up the scale have a pattern that repeats.
• There are 6 notes in the whole tone scale and each is separated by a whole tone, hence the name.
• As a result of the 6 major 2nd intervals in the scale, there are only 2 whole tone scales: C & C#\D♭.
• The scale formula is W-W-W-W-W where “W” stands for whole tone.
• C whole tone scale = C-D-E-F#-G#-A#
• Every note in the whole tone scale can act as the tonic of the scale.
• You can also look at the scale as two augmented triads separated by a whole tone. For example, the C whole tone scale has the notes that are in the C and D augmented triads.
• The most “unique” notes in the scale are the lowered and raised 5ths (♭5, #5) similar to a 7alt chord but with a 9 as opposed to altered 9ths (b9, #9) that is common with altered 7ths.
• The scale is defined with the intervals of 1-2-3-#4-#5-♭7, but I prefer 1-2-3-♭5-#5-♭7. That is why I’ll be using the notes C, D, E, G♭, G# & B♭ when covering the C whole tone scale.
• And finally, it’s common to hear the whole tone scale in movies and TV shows during fantasy, flashbacks or dream scenes.

That should do it for the basic definition of the scale, but let’s look at some practical points.

Application of the whole tone scale

#1) The scale adds tension but has no resolution. There are no half steps like in the major scale, so you get the “outside” sound of the scale when played over a chord progression.

#2) Because of the root, 3rd & ♭7 of EVERy chord built from the scale, you can add tension using the scale over dominant 7th chords – 7, 9 & 7#11 chords would be best.

#3) The scale is ideal over +, 7#5, 9#5, 7♭5 and 9♭5 chords.

#4) You can use the scale over dominant 7ths and the 7alt chords mentioned above starting on any scale degree assuming there is not a ♭9 or #9 in the chord. For example, use the scale over C7, D7, E7, F#7, A♭7, and B♭7 chords, or 7♭5, 9♭5, 7#5 & 9#5 chords in those same keys.

#5) Use the D♭ whole tone scale for the other 6 keys for dominant and altered 7th chords.

#6) Try it over a V7 to IV7 change in a blues tune, and combine it with the Dorian mode & the blues scale.

#7) Play “boxes” or 1-octave shapes for short runs, but use 2-octave shapes for longer sections. As I’ve mentioned in other articles, boxes, are just easy to grab & play groupings of notes.

#8) I haven’t tried it, but the advanced use of the scale is to use it over minor chords a semitone below the chord.

Chords built from the C whole tone scale

Both augmented and major flat 5 chords (dominant 7 flat 5 chord or just 7♭5) can be built from the notes of the whole tone scale. You only need to look at one note because every other note builds the same chords.

There are 2 base chords: the augmented triad and the chord that has a major 3rd and diminished fifth. No one knows what to call that second “chord” type, but I like maj ♭5. That is the chord name used in a Pink Floyd song (see below).

Below is a table of all the C chords that can be built from the C whole tone scale. Remember that every other note of the scale builds the same chords.

Let’s look at the augmented chords first since they are most often associated with the whole tone scale.

Augmented triad and 7th chords from the whole tone scale

You can build an augmented triad, an augmented 7th chord, and an augmented 9th chord from the scale. I like to notate them as:

+ or aug = augmented triad = 1–3–#5
7#5 = augmented 7th = 1–3–#5–♭7
9#5 = augmented 9th = 1–3–#5–♭7–9

You’ll also see aug7, +7 and 7(#5) for the augmented 7th chord.

The aug triad and 7#5 chords are mostly used in place of the V chord.

Try arpeggiating an augmented triad on the last V7 chord in a blues turnaround. For example, try an Eaug as x-7-6-5-5-x and let it ring out for the remainder of the measure. Or try an arpeggio of an E7#5 chord sliding from the ♭7 to the root at the end of the riff.

All 3 augmented chords normally resolve to a perfect fifth (P5) below – so acting like a V chord. And they resolve to both the major and minor tonic chord.

Here are the augmented chords that can be built on the note C from a C whole tone scale:

Caug = C–E–G# = 1–3–#5

C7#5 = C–E–G#–B♭ = 1–3–#5–♭7

C9#5 = C–E–G#–B♭–D = 1–3–#5–♭7–9

Every other note builds the same chords:

D: D+, D7#5, D9#5
E: E+, E7#5, E9#5
G♭ (or F#): G♭+, G♭7#5, G♭9#5
A♭ (or G#): Ab+, A♭7#5, A♭9#5
B♭ (or A#): B♭+, B♭7#5, B♭9#5

Note that the 9#5 chord is equal to the 9♭5hord on the ♭7, e.g. C9#5 = B♭9♭5.

You can also build the 7#5 chord on the tonic of the altered scale and the 5th degree of the melodic minor scale.

Closed and open E augmented 7th chords from the whole tone scale (7#5 & 9#5)

Check out my article on Augmented scale guitar chords for closed and open Augmented triad shapes. In that article, I include songs that use the aug triad. Here is a chart of the symbols on my chord blocks:

Here are 12 closed augmented 7th chord voicings and 6 open E chord shapes. I chose E for the augmented 7ths and 7♭5’s as a substitute for E7 chords for songs in the key of A major or A minor.

My favorite closed 9#5 chords are #1 & #3. I like every 7#5 shapes except #6. I like all 3 E7#5 shapes, but none of the 9#5 shapes.

 

 

 

 

Here are some song examples that use an augmented 7th chord (7#5 chord & one 9#5):

Sting: Mad About You
Grateful Dead: Till the Morning Comes
Stevie Wonder: If You Really Love Me, My Cherie Amour, Send One Your Love
Beach Boys: I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times, Orange Crate Art (also has a 9#5 chord)
Beatles: From Me To You
Allman Brothers: Stormy Monday (their version)
Silverman’s Folk Song Encyclopedia: Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair page 129 Vol I. And from Vol II: Jim Crow Blues page 21, I’m Certainly Living A Ragtime Life page 37, Bill Bailey page 73

7♭5 chords from the whole tone (WT) scale

Most jazz guys know you can build a 7♭5 & 9♭5 chord from the WT scale. I suggest that the major ♭5 chord is the base of 7♭5 chords. I include one other ♭5 chord, from the scale: the 9♭5♭13.

I do not have any chord voicings for the maj ♭5 chord because I don’t see the need for it (I don’t see it as a valid chord). Either play a 7♭5 or an add#11 chord. The add#11 is a nice dissonant chord. But if you need to play a maj ♭5  chord, just find a major triad shape and lower the perfect fifth by a half-step.

There are some scales like the Altered scale where you have an option of a major or minor 3rd and diminished or augmented 5th. I assume the maj ♭5 chord is similar given the option of the IV in a major key. The note F in C major has a perfect 5th C and a diminished 5th B (usually notated as #11). So you can build a Fmaj♭5 and Fmaj7♭5 chord.

Now I’ve never seen the 9♭5♭13 chord mentioned anywhere, though I’m willing to bet piano players stack the whole tone scale to play all 6 notes (1-3-♭5-♭7-9-♭13).

Here are those chords based on C:

Cmaj ♭5 = C–E–G♭ = 1–3–♭5

C7♭5 = C–E–G♭–B♭ = 1–3–♭5–♭7

C9♭5 = C–E–G♭–B♭–D = 1–3–♭5–♭7–9

C9♭5♭13 = C–E–G♭–B♭–D–A♭ = 1–3–♭5–♭7–9–♭13

And like the augmented chords, every other note builds the same chords (I’m skipping the maj ♭5):

D:D7♭5, D9b5, D9♭5♭13
E: E7♭5, E9b5, E9♭5♭13
Gb (or F#): Gb7♭5, Gb9♭5, G♭9♭5♭13
Ab (or G#): Ab7♭5, Ab9♭5, A♭9♭5♭13
Bb (or A#): Bb7♭5, Bb9♭5, B♭9♭5♭13

You can also build a 7♭5 chord on the tonic of the altered scale and the 4th degree of the melodic minor scale. The 9♭5 can also be built on the 4th degree of the melodic minor scale.

Additional notes on these 7♭5 chords

7♭5 chords are unique because their 2nd inversion equals another 7♭5 chord built on the ♭5, e.g. C7♭5 = G♭7♭5. Try sliding a  7♭5 chord up or down 6 frets and it’s the same chord with the same notes just with a different note in the bass.

The 7♭5 chord contains 2 tritones and it can resolve to 2 different keys: C7♭5 \ G♭7♭5 resolves to both F and B. But that chord also resolves up a whole step nicely: C7♭5 to D and G♭7♭5 to A♭.

A good substitute for a dominant 7th chord is a 7♭5 a ♭5 away, so try a G♭7♭5 in place of a C7 chord.

The 9♭5 chord equals a 9#5 on the 9, e.g. C9♭5 = D9#5. Or you could say the 9#5 equals a 9♭5 on the ♭7.

As a result of those chords equalling each other, there are 2 repeated shapes for 9♭5 guitar chord shapes that are shown above for the 9#5 shapes. They are shapes where the root is not in the bass, so they can be either chord.

Last but not least there is the 9♭5♭13 chord which is an interesting chord that I came up with by adding every note of the whole tone scale. Since it has every note in the whole tone scale, there can only be 2 of them: C & D♭.

And since 9♭5♭13 chords are made up of 3 tritones, they resolve beautifully to 6 different keys by a half-step above each chord tone (or below each chord tone). So a C9♭5♭13 chord (all the notes in a C WT scale) resolves to D♭, E♭, F, G, A, & B (all the notes in a D♭ WT scale!)

Closed and open E dominant 7 flat 5 chords (7♭5, 9♭5, 9♭5♭13)

I have 13 total closed 7♭5 voicings and 7 open E 7♭5 chords built from this scale. My favorite 7♭5 shapes are #1 & 3. #6 7♭5 is kind of a repeat of #4, and for #8 it’s tricky making sure th open G string doesn’t ring out. I like #3 9♭5, the 9♭5♭13 and E9♭5♭13, but I don’t like any of the other shapes.

Notes:
1) I marked the 1 and the ♭5 of the 7♭5 chords as root notes since they both are\can be the root of the chord.
2) For the #2 7♭5 shape, you can bar the root & ♭7 with the 1st finger as a different fingering.
3) #2 of the 9♭5 is pretty difficult to hold so #1, #3 and #4 are better options.
4) The closed 9♭5♭13 closed chord is difficult to hold but it sounds amazing!
5) I also included the only E♭9♭5♭13 chord which is from the D♭ WT scale. The open E and E♭ 9♭5♭13 chords are the ONLY open chord shapes possible.

 

 

 

 

Here are some songs I found that use flat 5 chords:

Pink Floyd: maj ♭5 in Great Gig in the Sky
Sting: 7♭5 in Seven Days
Beach Boys: 7♭5 in When I Grow Up, 9♭5 in Orange Crate Art

Summary

Use 7#5 and 7♭5 chords when you want a different sound than your standard dominant 7th chords. It may not be something you like, but you won’t know until you give them a try. If you don’t like the sound of the chords, don’t use them. But give the scale a try for some unique riffs.

For some nice licks, check out the Jamie Holroyd Guitar website article on the whole tone scale. I used some of his licks and made some tweaks of my own.

Read my article Chords From Scales for a list of all the 7#5 and 7♭5 chords. That article also includes the 70+ chord types I have voicings for and part of the reason I named my site Every Guitar Chord!

“It’s your mind, it’s your creativity, it’s your guitar, and most importantly, it’s your music – do what you want to do (just make sure it sounds good)”. ~ quote by Kernix

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