Build the sound
Play E♭ – G – B – D♭ individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · E♭7♯5 · Guitar
E♭7♯5 voicings on guitar
E♭7♯5 is spelled E♭ – G – B – D♭ (1 3 ♯5 ♭7) — a dominant that wants extra tension before resolving down a fifth. Here are 3 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
3 ways to play E♭7♯5.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Drop 2
B · E♭ · G · D♭Take the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings E-A-D-G, frets 7-6-5-6 (position 3).
Drop 3
G · E♭ · B · D♭Drop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings E-D-G-B, frets 3-1-4-2.
Shell (1–7–3)
E♭ · D♭ · GRoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings D-B-e, frets 1-2-3.
Your next 10 minutes
Make E♭ Augmented 7th (7♯5) part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of E♭7♯5. Notice which note is highest in each. Repeat the two shapes with the smallest comfortable hand movement, leaving a beat of silence between them.
Comp with space
Play E♭7♯5 on beats 2 and 4 at 60 bpm for four bars, then on the “and” of beat 2 for four bars. Keep the same notes while changing the rhythm. Mute unused strings and test each fretted note for buzz.
Listen for this: The chord tones are E♭, G, B, D♭. a dominant that wants extra tension before resolving down a fifth. A fuller voicing is not automatically better: leave room for the melody and bass.
Understand the sound
E♭7♯5: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives E♭7♯5 its identity?
The raised fifth changes the dominant’s centre of gravity. Keep the major third and flat seventh clear while you listen to the altered fifth.
Here the third is G, and degree ♭7 is D♭. Play E♭ in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Choose a useful voicing
Start with the smallest displayed shape you can play cleanly. Move its highest note into a comfortable register and listen for a clear melody above the chord.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with E♭ on string 5, fret 6. The next note G is on string 5, fret 10. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: E♭ · G · B · D♭. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
Behind the voicings
Every E♭7♯5 chord tone on the fretboard.
Reference
E♭7♯5 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E♭ | unison |
| 3 | G | major 3rd |
| ♯5 | B | augmented 5th |
| ♭7 | D♭ | minor 7th |
Arpeggio: E♭7♯5 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: E♭ Whole tone.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp E♭7♯5 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
E♭7♯5 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in E♭7♯5?
E♭, G, B, D♭ — chord tones 1 3 ♯5 ♭7.
What is the easiest E♭7♯5 voicing on guitar?
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings D, B, e: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like E♭7♯5.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing E♭ G B D♭ and drop the second note from the top an octave: B – E♭ – G – D♭. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does E♭7♯5 appear?
E♭7♯5 is a dominant that wants extra tension before resolving down a fifth. Its character is floating, whole-tone.
Keep going
Augmented 7th (7♯5) voicings in every other key.
Same chord on piano · Augmented 7th (7♯5) hub.
Other chords from E♭