Gmaj7b5

Gmaj7b5 is G, B, Db and F#, a major seven flat five. The shape this page opens on is written 324422, lowest string first.

Also written GM7b5, GΔ7b5 or Gmaj7(b5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 5 common shapes for Gmaj7b5 on the guitar, and 32 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Gmaj7b5 belongs to D major (the IV) and B minor (the ♭VI).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 324422, 3444x3, xx5677, x-10-9-11-12-9, x-10-11-11-12-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. Gmaj7b5 has 3x442x, 3246xx, x-10-x-11-12-9, xx5479, x-10-9-11-14-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Gmaj7b5 has xx4423, x2402x, 3444xx, xx5677, 9-10-9-11-x-x, x-10-11-11-12-x, x4547x, 7956xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Gmaj7b5 has x2x022, 3x442x, x4x473, 7x567x, x9x687, 9-x-9-11-8-x, x-10-x-11-12-9, 14-x-11-12-12-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. Gmaj7b5 has 344400, 3x4420, 7x5670, x45470, xx4600, x4400x.

Tensions. A shell of Gmaj7b5, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (A) and the 13 (E).

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