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Flat Five Chord

 

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Last updated on: 2009-08-19 2:16 PM

A flat five chord is composed using a root/1st, major 3rd and diminished 5th (or R/1-3-Flat symbol5) intervals played simultaneously, frequently with the addition of a root/octave (octave doubling). Generally written as CFlat symbol5, CFlat symbol5 or CFlat symbol5, it is good practice to simply use an uppercase C followed by a superscripted Flat symbol5 to represent it in writing (ie: CFlat symbol5).

All the chord voicings below contain a major third except for the alternative DFlat symbol5. Generally speaking, the third tends to be left out altogether (forming a simple power chord) particularly when playing a fast heavy rock riff, it's simply to hard to fret and doesn't sound that good anyway (for heavy rock). It's up to you as to which way to practice but I would suggest learning both ways.

Flat Five Chord Profile

Intervals root/1st, major 3rd, diminished 5th or R/1-3-Flat symbol5
Stability Dissonant / Unresolved
Grouping Class Triad
Common Names (examples in C) CFlat symbol5, CFlat symbol5, CFlat symbol5

Flat Five Chord Voicings

The chord voicings below are not shown in any particular key, they are shapes which can be moved around the guitar neck freely using the root note (circled dot) as your navigator. See example below.

  • How to use
  • As an example, let's say you require a D major chord
  • After playing all the chord voicings, you decide on voicing #2
  • Voicing #2 has it's root on the 5th string so you need to find the D note on this string
  • Click the notes on the neck chart tab and find the D note on the 5th fret (5th string)
  • Now play D major using voicing #2 on the 5th fret
  • Use the Octave chart tab to help you remember which notes are where
  • Use the Chord chart help tab if your a beginner at reading chord boxes
Flat five chord voicings
Chord chart help
Notes on the guitar neck chart (lite version)
Octaves chart

Using octaves to learn notes on the guitar neck

  1. First determine which chord you require, let's use a B major chord in this example.
  2. We know the root note is B, (if it were an A major chord the root note would be A and for Cma7 it would be C, etc etc)
  3. Using the notes on the guitar neck chart, find the B note on the 6th string, 7th fret.
  4. Now using the major chord voicings chart, look for voicing #4 which has it's root note on the 6th string and play it, your done!
  5. Remember, learning and memorizing notes, chord voicings and scales in this way will improve your playing skills, theoretical knowledge and desirability as a band member.

Flat Five Chord Audio Sample(s)

To download audio sample(s) for later listening, right click on the MP3 link, then from the context menu that appears select Save Target As (Internet Explorer) or Save Link As (Firefox).

Audio Sample Name Flash MP3
D Flat Five Chord Voicing #2 d-flat-five-chord-voicing-2.mp3

Related Lessons & Resources

External Resources