Half Diminished Chord: How To Play m7b5 Chords On Guitar

What is a half-diminished chord and how do we play it on guitar?

When following chord charts, you may have come across a strange chord symbol that looks like a small circle with a line running diagonally through it.

That’s the symbol for a half-diminished chord, which is also known as a minor seventh flat five (m7b5) chord.

On this page, we answer all of your questions on this powerful chord, and show you multiple ways of playing it on guitar.

For each half-diminished chord shape, we provide an example chord progression, so you’ll have no problem in using it in your own compositions in future.

Read on to get started…

The Half Diminished Chord

The half diminished chord is also known as the half-diminished seventh and the minor seventh flat five. All three names refer to the same chord, and are used interchangeably on this page.

Probably the most common way of playing a half-diminished chord is shown in the diagram below. (You’ll find more half-diminished chord shapes further down the page.)

Here, the chord shape is shown being played at the fifth fret, which produces a Dm7b5 chord. (On the diagram, the blue circle denotes the root note of the chord.)

You can move the same chord shape up and down the fretboard to produce m7b5 chords with different root notes (e.g., play it at the 3^rd fret for a Cm7b5 chord).

Half-Diminished Chord Symbols

The half-diminished chord has a variety of symbols, including:

• m7♭5
• m7(♭5)
• Bø
• Bø7

How To Play The Half-Diminished Chord On Guitar

Below, you will find three ways of playing a half-diminished chord / minor seventh flat five chord on guitar. For each chord, an example chord sequence has been provided (two, in the case of the first chord shape).

In the chord diagrams below, the root note of the chord is shown as a blue circle.

Half-Diminished Seventh / Minor Seventh Flat Five Guitar Chord – Root On 5^th (A) String

This shape (which we saw above), has its root on the 5^th string.

Example Chord Progression 1

The half-diminished / minor seventh flat five chord is common in jazz music, where it typically serves as the “2” chord in a 2 5 1 progression in a minor key. This is the case in the progression below, which is in C minor.

Example Chord Progression 2

The half-diminished chord is much less commonly heard in pop and rock music, which is a shame, as it has the potential to add a very profound and moving sound to a chord progression. Below is an example of how the chord could be incorporated into a folky-type progression.

Half-Diminished Seventh / Minor Seventh Flat Five Guitar Chord – Root On 6^th (Low E) String

Below is a half diminished chord shape with the root on the 6^th string.

Example Chord Progression

Half-Diminished Seventh / Minor Seventh Flat Five Guitar Chord – Root On 4^th (D) String

Another common way of playing a half diminished chord is using the shape below, with the chord’s root note on the 4^th string.

Example Chord Progression

Three Ways Of Playing Half-Diminished Chords On Guitar

What Is A Half Diminished Chord? – Music Theory

A half-diminished chord consists of a diminished triad with an additional minor seventh note.

In other words, the chord comprises: root, minor third, diminished fifth and minor seventh. (1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7)

Examples:

• A C half-diminished chord contains the following notes: C, E♭, G♭, B♭
• A D half-diminished chord contains the following notes: D, F, A♭, C
• A B half-diminished chord contains the following notes: B, D, F, A

You could also view a half diminished chord as being a minor seventh chord with a flattened fifth note, hence its alternative name: minor seventh flat five.

Why “Half” Diminished?

As the name suggests, a half-diminished chord isn’t quite a “full” diminished seventh chord, which would have a diminished seventh, rather than a minor seventh.

Compare a C half diminished chord with a C diminished seventh chord below:

In Which Scales Is The Half-Diminished Chord Found?

The half-diminished seventh chord is diatonic to several scales, including those listed below:

• the vii°7 chord of the major scale,
• the ii°7 chord of the harmonic minor,
• the ii°7 chord of natural minor,
• the vi°7 chord of melodic minor (ascending),
• the tonic chord of the Locrian mode.

For more information on diatonic chords, see this page: Diatonic Chords

The half diminished seventh chord, being the chord formed from the second degree of both the harmonic and natural minor scales, often occurs as the 2, or ii, chord in minor 2 5 1 progressions.

This is easily the most common usage of a half diminished / minor seventh flat five chord in jazz music.

Half-Diminished Chord Synonym

Compare the notes of a D minor seventh flat five chord with those of an F minor sixth chord.

• D minor seventh flat five chord notes: D, F, A♭, C
• F minor sixth chord notes: F, A♭, C, D

As you can see, the chords share exactly the same notes, albeit in a different order. (In other words, a D half diminished chord is the same as an F minor sixth chord in third inversion, and an F minor sixth chord is the same as a D half-diminished chord in first inversion.)

• This means that any minor 6^th guitar chord shapes can also be used to play the half-diminished chord with a root a minor 3^rd below.
• Likewise, any half-diminished guitar chord shape can be used to play the minor sixth chord with a root a minor third above.

Whenever you come across a half-diminished chord on a chord chart, you can play the minor 6^th chord shape whose root is a minor third above instead.

Half Diminished Chord Conclusion

We hope that you have found this page useful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section – we answer all genuine questions we receive.