Chord · G Dominant 7♯5
G7♯5 Chord
G7♯5 is G, B, D# and F — whole-tone derived; very tense.
G7♯5 on every instrument
The same 4 notes, 2 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What G7♯5 is made of
G7#5 (G seventh sharp five) is built from the notes G, B, D#, F, with the interval pattern 1, 3, #5, b7.
Stack 1, 3, #5 and b7 on a root of G and you get G, B, D# and F. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a seventh sharp five chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C7♯5 sounds like a transposed G7♯5.
Dominant 7♯5: Whole-tone derived; very tense.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with D♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain G7♯5
No major or natural-minor key contains all 4 of these notes — this one gets borrowed.
Chords like this one sit outside the diatonic set — they arrive as secondary dominants, borrowed chords or passing harmony. Browse every key to see which progressions pull it in.
Other chords on G
Same root, different colour.
The same seventh sharp five shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about G7#5
- What notes are in the G7#5 chord?
- G7#5 is made of G, B, D# and F — the 1, 3, #5 and b7 degrees of a seventh sharp five chord built on G.
- What keys use the G7#5 chord?
- No major or natural-minor key contains all 4 notes of G7#5. Chords like this arrive as borrowed harmony — secondary dominants, harmonic-minor colour, or chromatic passing chords — rather than as one of a key's native chords.
- How do you play G7#5 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows G7#5 on guitar and piano — 4 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why G7♯5 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.