Build the sound
Play F – A – C♯ – E♭ individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · F7♯5 · Piano
F7♯5 voicings on piano
F7♯5 is spelled F – A – C♯ – E♭ (1 3 ♯5 ♭7) — a dominant that wants extra tension before resolving down a fifth. Here are 4 ways to voice it on piano: close position, 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
4 ways to play F7♯5.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Close position
F · A · C♯ · E♭Root, third, fifth and seventh stacked within one octave — the reference voicing (piano; too tight to finger on guitar).
Drop 2
C♯ · F · A · E♭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.
Drop 3
A · F · C♯ · E♭Drop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound.
Shell (1–7–3)
F · E♭ · ARoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing.
Your next 10 minutes
Make F Augmented 7th (7♯5) part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of F7♯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 F7♯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. Keep the left-hand shape above the lowest octave so the voices remain clear.
Listen for this: The chord tones are F, A, C♯, E♭. 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
F7♯5: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives F7♯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 A, and degree ♭7 is E♭. Play F 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.
Separate the bass from the upper notes. If the low register sounds muddy, move the upper voices up an octave before adding more notes.
Your piano checkpoint
The black-key pitches in this collection are C♯, E♭. Use the groups of two and three black keys to orient yourself. Play F and A with each hand separately before combining the hands.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: F · A · C♯ · E♭. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
Behind the voicings
Every F7♯5 chord tone on the keyboard.
Reference
F7♯5 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | unison |
| 3 | A | major 3rd |
| ♯5 | C♯ | augmented 5th |
| ♭7 | E♭ | minor 7th |
Arpeggio: F7♯5 arpeggio on piano. Scale: F Whole tone.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp F7♯5 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
F7♯5 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in F7♯5?
F, A, C♯, E♭ — chord tones 1 3 ♯5 ♭7.
What is the easiest F7♯5 voicing on piano?
The shell voicing: F – E♭ – A in the left hand. Three notes that carry the whole identity of the chord.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing F A C♯ E♭ and drop the second note from the top an octave: C♯ – F – A – E♭. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does F7♯5 appear?
F7♯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 guitar · Augmented 7th (7♯5) hub.
Other chords from F