Amaj7#5

Amaj7#5 is A, C#, E# and G#, a major seven sharp five. The shape this page opens on is written x03121, lowest string first.

Also written AM7#5, AΔ7#5, A+M7 or Amaj7(#5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 10 common shapes for Amaj7#5 on the guitar, and 27 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x03121, x03224, xx3224, x06665, xx7664, 5x6665, x-x-7-10-9-9, x-12-11-10-9-9, x-12-11-13-x-13, x-12-15-13-14-x.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Amaj7#5 has x0666x, x0x121, 5x666x, x-12-x-13-14-13.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Amaj7#5 has x0312x, xx3224, 4432xx, xx6665, x-11-11-10-10-x, 13-12-11-13-x-x, x4626x, 5866xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Amaj7#5 has x0x121, x4x264, 4x322x, x8x695, 5x666x, 9-x-7-10-9-x, x-11-x-10-10-9, 13-x-11-13-10-x.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Amaj7#5 has 44320x.

Tensions. A shell of Amaj7#5, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (B), the #11 (D#) and the 13 (F#).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.