What is a half diminished chord

What's a Half-Diminished Chord (m7b5)

By Stef Ramin
On 04/07/2017
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What is a half diminished chord You surely know what are major chords, minor chords, seventh chords and diminished 7th chords ? But you may be wondering what half-diminished chords are ? In music, the most encountered chords are major and minor chords. These are the basis of the Harmony. Seventh chords (m7, Maj7 and dom7) are also widely used, particularly in jazz and blues music. When a guitar student start to take an interest in jazz, he can sometimes find chords with a little barbaric names such as diminished 7th chords, augmented or even half-diminished chords (m7b5). This article will explain you what are m7b5 chords, how to play them on the guitar and how to apply them in common harmonic contexts as major and minor II-V-I progressions.

What is a Half-diminished Chord?

Minor 7 flat 5 chord is close to a diminished 7th chord, the first 3 notes are identical, but the 4th is different. This chord can be written in two ways: m7b5 or Ø. If you do not know how to play and what is a diminished 7th chord, you can read this page about diminished chord voicings.

As is it shown in the chart below, the half-diminished chord is built with a root (1), a minor third (b3), a flat fifth (b5) and a minor 7th (b7). The diminished 7th chord has a diminished 7th instead of the minor seventh. This is the only difference between these two chords.

Half-diminished 7th chord	1	b3	b5	b7
Diminished 7th chord	1	b3	b5	bb7

You can find the half-diminished chord in a number of harmonized scales. For example the 7th degree of the major scale, the 2nd degree of the harmonic minor scale and the 6th and 7th degree of the melodic minor scale.

The major harmonized scale

When you harmonize in thirds the degree VII of the major scale you obtain a m7b5 chord.

Degrees	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII
C major scale	C	D	E	F	G	A	B
Quadrad chords	CMaj7	D-7	E-7	FMaj7	G7	A-7	B-7b5

The harmonic minor harmonized scale

When you harmonize in thirds the degree II of the harmonic minor scale you get a m7b5 chord.

Degrees	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII
C Harmonic minor scale	C	D	Eb	F	G	Ab	B
Quadrad chords	C-maj7	D-7b5	EbMaj7#5	Fm7	G7	AbMaj7	Bdim7

The melodic minor harmonized scale

When you harmonize in thirds the degrees VI and VII of the major scale you obtain two m7b5 chords.

Degrees	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII
C Harmonic minor scale	C	D	Eb	F	G	A	B
Quadrad chords	C-maj7	D-7	EbMaj7#5	F7	G7	A-7b5	B-7b5

Half-diminished guitar chord diagrams

Here are three main positions to play a m7b5 chord on the guitar. You can visit this page for more half-diminished guitar chord positions.

Half-diminished guitar diagram - Root on the sixth string

m7b5 chord guitar diagram positions

Half-dminished guitar diagram - Root on the fifth string

drop 2 half diminished jazz chord guitar diagram

Half-dminished guitar diagram - Root on the fourth string

drop 2 m7b5 chord guitar diagram

How to use the half-diminished chord

The m7b5 chord can be found in different contexts and is used in different substitutions. For example, when playing a minor II V I progression, the 2nd degree is a m7b5.

Minor II V I progression

The half-diminished chord is specially a leading chord, the sound strongly pulls towards resolution. It is possible to use it as a diatonic substitution for a dominant 7th chord. Try to play the m7b5 a major 3rd higher than the dominant 7 chord to replace it. For example, use Bm7b5 for G7.

This II-V-I : Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 becomes Dm7 | B-7b5 | Cmaj7

major II-V-I

You can use the m7b5 as a substitution for a minor 7th chord, built from a minor third below. Meaning, you can replace Cm7 chord with an Am7b5.

This II-V-I : Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 becomes Bm7b5 | G7 | Cmaj7

major II-V-I

The minor seventh flat five chord is also an inversion of the minor 6 chord. This is a minor 6 chord with the sixth in the bass. Here is a comparison between them.

Drop 2 Minor 6 chord formula (root position)	R	5	6	b3
Drop 2 D minor 6 chord	D	A	B	F
Drop 2 minor 6 chord formula - 3rd inversion (6 in the bass)	6	b3	5	R
Drop 2 - D minor 6 chord - 3rd inversion	B	F	A	D
Drop 2 Half-dimished chord formula (root position)	R	b5	b7	b3
Bm7b5 Drop 2 half-diminished chord	B	F	A	D

Drop 2 minor 6 guitar chord diagram

Minor 6 guitar chord 4

Drop 2 minor 6 guitar chord diagram - Sixth in the bass

Minor 6 guitar chord 7

Drop 2 half-diminished guitar chord diagram.

drop 2 half diminished jazz chord guitar diagram

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