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Guitar chords · Half-diminished 7th

Fm7♭5 chord on guitar (Fm7b5)

Fm7♭5 (F 7th) has four notes: F, A♭, C♭ (played as B) and E♭, the , ♭3, ♭5 and ♭7.

Shapes

How to play Fm7♭5

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

Fm7♭5 has no common . Play it as the E shape at 1 or the A shape at fret 8. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • E shape · fret 1

    ××R♭7♭3FE♭A♭C♭
  • A shape · fret 8

    8fr××R♭5♭7♭3FC♭E♭A♭
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes Fm7♭5 half-diminished 7th

A is a with a minor 7th added, also written ø7. It is the vii chord of a major key with sevenths, and the ii chord of a minor key, where it leads into V in a minor ii–V–i.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The ♭3rd, the ♭5th and the ♭7th make Fm7♭5 a .

  1. FRroot
  2. A♭♭3essential
  3. C♭♭5essential
  4. E♭♭7essential
EADGBE0135791215FFFFFFFFFA♭C♭E♭C♭E♭A♭C♭E♭A♭C♭E♭A♭C♭E♭A♭C♭E♭A♭C♭A♭C♭E♭
  • F, the root
  • Other chord tones

Fm7♭5 usually leads to B♭7 and then E♭m: the iiø7–V7–i of E♭ minor.

Keys

Keys with Fm7♭5

Fm7♭5 belongs to two keys: G♭ major (viiø7) and E♭ minor (iiø7).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Progressions

Progressions with Fm7♭5

Common progressions that use Fm7♭5, each in a key that spells it Fm7♭5. The outlined chord is Fm7♭5.

  • Minor ii–V–i in E♭ minor

    iiø7 – V7 – i7

    1. Fm7♭5
    2. B♭7
    3. E♭m7

    Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.

    Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves

Slash chords

Fm7♭5 over another bass note

A keeps Fm7♭5 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • Fm7♭5/A♭

    Fm7♭5 with its ♭3rd, A♭, in the bass: the first inversion.

  • Fm7♭5/C♭

    Fm7♭5 with its ♭5th, C♭, in the bass: the second inversion.

  • Fm7♭5/E♭

    Fm7♭5 with its ♭7th, E♭, in the bass: the third inversion.

Questions

Fm7♭5, in short

What notes are in the Fm7♭5 chord?
Fm7♭5 (F 7th) has four notes: F, A♭, C♭ (played as B) and E♭, the , ♭3, ♭5 and ♭7.
How do you play Fm7♭5 on guitar?
Fm7♭5 has no common . Play it as the E shape at 1 or the A shape at fret 8.
What key is Fm7♭5 in?
Fm7♭5 belongs to two keys: G♭ major (viiø7) and E♭ minor (iiø7).
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