Emmaj7b5

EmMaj7b5 is E, G, Bb and D#, a minor major seven flat five. The shape this page opens on is written 0110x0, lowest string first.

Also written EmM7b5 or Em(maj7)b5. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for EmMaj7b5 on the guitar, and 27 derived voicings in 3 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 0110x0, xx2343, x7x886, x7888x, 12-13-x-12-11-11, 12-13-13-12-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. EmMaj7b5 has xx2046, 0653xx, x7x046, x7x886, 12-x-13-12-11-x, 12-10-13-15-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. EmMaj7b5 has 0110xx, xx2343, x7888x, x-x-13-12-11-12, 12-13-13-12-x-x, x1204x, 3623xx, x6535x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. EmMaj7b5 has x1x040, 3x234x, x6x353, 6x585x, x7x886, 11-x-8-9-8-x, x-10-x-9-11-11, 12-x-13-12-11-x.

Tensions. A shell of EmMaj7b5, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (A) and the b13 (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.