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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 above the root (1, ♮3, ♭5 and ♭7). For example, the dominant seventh flat five chord built on G, commonly written as G, is composed of the pitches G–B–D♭–F:

It can be represented by the integer notation {0, 4, 6, 10}.

This chord is enharmonically equivalent to its own second inversion. That is, it has the same notes as the dominant seventh flat five chord a tritone away (although they may be spelled differently), so for instance, F♯ and C are enharmonically equivalent. 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 six "unique" dominant seventh flat five chords.

In diatonic harmony, the dominant seventh flat five chord does not naturally occur on any scale degree (as does, for example, the diminished triad on the seventh scale degree of the major scale e.g. B in C major). 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.

In jazz harmony, the dominant seventh flat five may be considered an altered chord, created by lowering the fifth of a dominant seventh chord, and may use the whole-tone scale, as may the augmented minor seventh chord, or the Lydian ♭7 mode, as well as most of the modes of the Neapolitan major scale, such as the major Locrian scale, the leading whole-tone scale, and the Lydian minor scale.

Dominant seventh flat five chord table

Chord	Root	Major third	Diminished fifth	Minor seventh
C	C	E	G♭	B♭
C♯	C♯	E♯ (F)	G	B
D♭	D♭	F	A (G)	C♭ (B)
D	D	F♯	A♭	C
D♯	D♯	F (G)	A	C♯
E♭	E♭	G	B (A)	D♭
E	E	G♯	B♭	D
F	F	A	C♭ (B)	E♭
F♯	F♯	A♯	C	E
G♭	G♭	B♭	D (C)	F♭ (E)
G	G	B	D♭	F
G♯	G♯	B♯ (C)	D	F♯
A♭	A♭	C	E (D)	G♭
A	A	C♯	E♭	G
A♯	A♯	C (D)	E	G♯
B♭	B♭	D	F♭ (E)	A♭
B	B	D♯	F	A

Chords for guitarists

Dominant seventh flat five chords for a guitar in standard tuning. (left is the low E string, number is the fret, x means mute the string)

• A♭: xx6778
• B: x23245
• C: x34356
• D: xx0112
• E: 010130
• F: xx3445
• G: xx5667

See also

• Altered scale
• French sixth
• Half diminished chord

References

1. Manus and Hall (2008). Alfred's Basic Bass Scales & Modes/Alfred's Basic Bass Method, p.22/128. ISBN 0739055844/ISBN 0739055836.
2. Berle, Annie (1996). Contemporary Theory And Harmony, p.100-101. ISBN 0-8256-1499-6.
3. "Reverse Guitar Chord Name Finder with Sound, Vertical Fretboard".
4. "Ab7b5 Chord".
5. "Music | audiopologie". Archived from the original on 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2017-12-26.

v t e Chords
By form	Triad Major Minor Augmented Diminished Suspended Seventh Leading-tone Major Minor Dominant Dominant seventh flat five Diminished Half-diminished Diminished major Minor-major Augmented major Augmented minor Altered seventh Nondominant Harmonic seventh Extended Ninth Eleventh Thirteenth Upper structure Dominant 7♯9 Polychord Tone cluster Added / omitted Sixth Augmented sixth Lydian Seven six Specific Alpha Bridge Complexe sonore Dream Elektra Farben Grandmother Magic Mystic Northern lights Petrushka Psalms So What Tristan Viennese trichord General Mixed interval Secundal Tertian Quartal Synthetic chord Tetrad
By function	Diatonic Tonic Supertonic Mediant Subdominant Dominant Submediant Leading tone / Subtonic Altered Approach Borrowed Chromatic mediant Neapolitan Passing Secondary Secondary dominant Secondary leading-tone Secondary supertonic Other Common Contrast Primary triad Subsidiary Substitute
Techniques	Barre Block Chordioid Chord-scale system Guitar Open Power Slash
Other	Arpeggio Chord names and symbols List of chords Factor

• Altered chords
• Seventh chords