Emaj7b5

Emaj7b5 is E, G#, Bb and D#, a major seven flat five. The shape this page opens on is written 011140, lowest string first.

Also written EM7b5, EΔ7b5 or Emaj7(b5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Emaj7b5 on the guitar, and 27 derived voicings in 3 families.

In which keys. Every note of Emaj7b5 belongs to Ab minor (the ♭VI) and B major (the IV).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 011140, xx2344, x76896, x7889x, 0-11-13-13-11-11, 12-11-13-13-11-11, 12-13-13-13-x-12.

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. Emaj7b5 has 0663xx, x7x896, 12-x-13-13-11-x, 12-11-13-15-x-x, xx2146, x-7-6-8-11-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Emaj7b5 has 0111xx, xx2344, 6768xx, x7889x, x-x-13-13-11-12, 12-13-13-13-x-x, x1214x, 4623xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Emaj7b5 has x1x140, 4x234x, x6x354, 6x685x, x7x896, 11-x-8-9-9-x, x-11-x-9-11-11, 12-x-13-13-11-x.

Tensions. A shell of Emaj7b5, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (F#) and the 13 (C#).

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