Package leaflet · Information for the musician · Chord
A Seventh Sharp Five Chord (A7♯5)
Restless, rising and bluesy. A dominant seventh with an augmented fifth that pushes upward to the next chord.
- A7♯5
- 4 notes
- x03023
1Composition: what it contains
A – C♯ – E♯ – G
- Symbol
- A7♯5
- Also written
- A7♯5, Aaug7, A+7, A7+, A7(♯5)
- Formula
- 1 3 ♯5 ♭7
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | unison | 0 |
| 3 | C♯ | major third | 4 |
| ♯5 | E♯ | augmented fifth | 8 |
| ♭7 | G | minor seventh | 10 |
2Appearance: diagrams and sound
On the guitar
x03023open position
585665fret 5
x-x-7-10-8-9fret 7
x-12-15-12-14-13fret 12On the ukulele
0110open position
2534fret 2
6758fret 5On the piano
On the staff
On bass and as an arpeggio
3Indications: what it is used for
A V7 chord with a raised fifth leading to the third of the I chord: common in jazz, blues, swing, gospel, ragtime and old pop. It acts as a dominant with extra pull, especially in major keys (the raised fifth moves up to the third of the tonic). The whole-tone scale fits over it, and the altered scale works when combined with ♭9 or ♯9. It also appears as a turnaround chord in blues (V7♯5 back to I7).
4Dosage: how to practise it
On guitar, learn the shape rooted on the sixth string and the shape rooted on the fifth string, and practise resolving the raised fifth up to the target chord's third. On piano, play 1-3-♯5-♭7 in all inversions and practise V7♯5–I and ii7–V7♯5–Imaj7 at 70–110 BPM. Improvise with the whole-tone scale over the chord. Five minutes daily. On bass, outline root, third and the raised fifth, and lead the raised fifth upward. Compare the chord with plain dominant sevenths and listen for the rising chromatic voice.
5Warnings and common mistakes
Do not play the natural fifth together with the raised fifth: they clash. Do not confuse 7♯5 with 7♭13: they share the same note but the ♭13 implies the natural fifth may be present, and the scale choice differs. The symbol '+7' is sometimes confused with 'maj7'; read carefully. Do not confuse with maj7♯5, which has a major seventh. On guitar, check that no open string sounds the natural fifth.
6Interactions with chords, scales and keys
Inversions
- Inversion 1 · A7♯5/C♯ · C♯ – E♯ – G – A
- Inversion 2 · A7♯5/E♯ · E♯ – G – A – C♯
- Inversion 3 · A7♯5/G · G – A – C♯ – E♯
Scales to play over A7♯5
7Other presentations available
The same chord from every note
C7♯5 C♯7♯5 D7♯5 E♭7♯5 E7♯5 F7♯5 F♯7♯5 G7♯5 A♭7♯5 B♭7♯5 B7♯5
Other chords on A
A Am Adim Aaug Asus2 Asus4 A5 A6 Am6 A7 Amaj7 Am7 Am7♭5 Adim7 Am(maj7) A7sus4 Aadd9 Am(add9) A6/9 A9 Amaj9 Am9 A11 Am11 A13 A7♭9 A7♯9 A7♭5
Read this leaflet carefully before playing. Keep it near your instrument. Free to use, print and share for personal and educational use.