Ebmaj7b5

Ebmaj7b5 is Eb, G, A and D, a major seven flat five. The shape this page opens on is written xx1233, lowest string first.

Also written EbM7b5, EbΔ7b5 or Ebmaj7(b5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for Ebmaj7b5 on the guitar, and 34 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Ebmaj7b5 belongs to G minor (the ♭VI) and Bb major (the IV).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: xx1233, x65785, x6778x, 11-10-12-12-10-10, 11-12-12-12-x-11, x-x-13-14-15-15.

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. Ebmaj7b5 has xx1035, x6x035, x6x785, 11-x-12-12-10-x, 11-10-12-14-x-x, x-6-5-7-10-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Ebmaj7b5 has x0103x, xx1233, 5657xx, x6778x, x-x-12-12-10-11, 11-12-12-12-x-x, x-x-13-14-15-15, 3512xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Ebmaj7b5 has 3x123x, x5x243, 5x574x, x6x785, 10-x-7-8-8-x, x-10-x-8-10-10, 11-x-12-12-10-x, x-12-x-12-15-11.

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. Ebmaj7b5 has x0004x, xx0045, 5600xx, x00065, 5x004x.

Tensions. A shell of Ebmaj7b5, 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.