How to Play F#m7b5 Chord on Guitar | F# Minor Seventh Flat five
What is in F#m7b5, the F# half-diminished chord? The notes are F#, A, C and E.
Where a fully diminished seventh lowers the seventh twice, the half-diminished chord stops at a minor seventh, which is how it earns its name. It is the diatonic vii chord of G major, and the ii chord of E minor. A scale that covers every chord tone is the F# Locrian scale, which is where to start when you improvise.
See jazz chord progressions for the places where chords like this one tend to turn up. The only tritone in the chord lies between the root and the flat five.
F# minor 7th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as F#m7b5, F#m7(b5), F#ø7 or F#min7b5. It is also known as the F# half-diminished chord.
Notes in the F# m7b5 chord:
Chord Formula:
Formula: 1 b3 b5 b7
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FAQ
Which notes make up F#m7b5?
F#m7b5 contains F#, A, C and E. These are the root, minor third, flat fifth and minor seventh. The seventh, E, is ten semitones from F#.
What does the b5 in F#m7b5 mean?
The b5 says the fifth is lowered a semitone from the usual C# to C. Together with the minor third and minor seventh, this gives the chord its half-diminished sound.
Is F# half-diminished different from F# diminished seventh?
Yes, by one note. F#m7b5 ends on E, a minor seventh, while F#dim7 ends on Eb, a diminished seventh. Their first three notes, F#, A and C, are the same.
Which scale matches F#m7b5?
The F# Locrian scale, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E, holds all four chord tones. Use it as a pool of notes over the chord.
In which keys is F#m7b5 a diatonic chord?
F#m7b5 is the vii chord of G major and the ii chord of E minor. All its notes belong to both keys.
