Ammaj7b5

AmMaj7b5 is A, C, Eb and G#, a minor major seven flat five. The shape this page opens on is written x01114, lowest string first.

Also written AmM7b5 or Am(maj7)b5. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for AmMaj7b5 on the guitar, and 25 derived voicings in 3 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x01114, 56x544, 5665x5, xx7898, x-12-x-13-13-11, x-12-13-13-13-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. AmMaj7b5 has x0654x, 5x654x, x-12-x-13-13-11, 5368xx.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. AmMaj7b5 has x0111x, xx6545, 5665xx, xx7898, x-12-13-13-13-x, xx1214, 4312xx, x3624x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. AmMaj7b5 has 4x121x, x3x244, 5x654x, x6x595, 8x789x, x-11-x-8-10-8, 11-x-10-13-10-x, x-12-x-13-13-11.

Tensions. A shell of AmMaj7b5, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (D) and the b13 (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.