A half-diminished chord (Am7♭5)

A half-diminished is a 4-note half-diminished chord: A – C – E♭ – G. It sounds tense but soft, with a dark color. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesA – C – E♭ – G
Formula1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7
SymbolAm7♭5 · Aø · Am7b5
TypeHalf-diminished chord

A half-diminished on guitar

Open position
Fret 5 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (open position)

Finger 1 (index finger) on fret 1 of the 4th string (D).
Place finger 2 (middle) at fret 1 on string 2 (B).
Play the 5th and 3rd strings open.
Do not play the 6th and 1st strings: strum from the 5th string.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (A). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

A half-diminished on piano

In root position, play A – C – E♭ – G from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (A) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: C – E♭ – G – A
Second inversion: E♭ – G – A – C
Third inversion: G – A – C – E♭

A half-diminished on ukulele

From fret 2
From fret 5

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of A half-diminished

A1 · root
C♭3 · minor third
E♭♭5 · diminished fifth
G♭7 · minor seventh

It's the second degree in minor keys (iiø–V7–i), very common in boleros, tango and jazz.

Progressions with Am7♭5

ii–V–i in minor: iiø7 – V7 – i

The minor cadence of boleros, tangos and jazz, in G natural minor.

Which keys contain A half-diminished?

Am7♭5 belongs to 2 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
B♭ major	viiø7
G natural minor	iiø7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A half-diminished chord?

A half-diminished (Am7♭5) has 4 notes: A (root), C (minor third), E♭ (diminished fifth), G (minor seventh).

How do you play A half-diminished on guitar?

The easiest shape is in open position: x 0 1 0 1 x (from the 6th to the 1st string). Finger 1 (index) on fret 1 of the 4th string (D). Finger 2 (middle) on fret 1 of the 2nd string (B). The 5th and 3rd strings ring open. Do not play the 6th and 1st strings: strum from the 5th.

How do you write A half-diminished as a chord symbol?

It's written Am7♭5; you may also see Aø or Am7b5. Letter-name notation uses C, D, E, F, G, A, and B for the notes do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and si, respectively.

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