Chord Shapes

Major Triad Flat 5

Intervals: 1-3-b5. Lowering the 5th of a major triad turns a very stable chord into one that feels unsettled and colouristic. This is not a common functional harmony in standards; it is more often the product of chromatic inner voice-leading (e.g. 5–b5–4 on the way to a sus4 or minor chord) or a re-spelling of part of an altered dominant or diminished structure. Use it as a momentary passing chord, for example I–I(b5)–IV, where the b5 leads smoothly to the 4th of the next chord, rather than as a long-held sonority.