Gmmaj7b5

GmMaj7b5 is G, Bb, Db and F#, a minor major seven flat five. The shape this page opens on is written 3443x3, lowest string first.

Also written GmM7b5 or Gm(maj7)b5. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 5 common shapes for GmMaj7b5 on the guitar, and 24 derived voicings in 3 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 3443x3, 34x322, xx5676, x-10-x-11-11-9, x-10-11-11-11-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. GmMaj7b5 has 3x432x, x-10-x-11-11-9, 3146xx.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. GmMaj7b5 has xx4323, 3443xx, xx5676, x-10-11-11-11-x, x1402x, x4537x, 6956xx, x9868x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. GmMaj7b5 has x1x022, 3x432x, x4x373, 6x567x, x9x686, 9-x-8-11-8-x, x-10-x-11-11-9, 14-x-11-12-11-x.

Tensions. A shell of GmMaj7b5, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (C) and the b13 (Eb).

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