G Minor Seventh Flat five Guitar Chord Fingering
The G half-diminished chord, written Gm7b5, is spelled G, Bb, Db and F: the root, minor third, flat five and minor seventh.
Its sound is dark and unresolved, and the minor seventh on top separates it from the fully diminished chord. It is the diatonic vii chord of Ab major, and the ii chord of F minor. For lead lines, reach for the G Locrian scale: it holds each note of the chord, so every chord tone is available.
Its top three notes, Bb, Db and F, spell a minor triad, so the chord can be heard as a minor triad over a different bass note.
G minor 7th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as Gm7b5, Gm7(b5), Gø7 or Gmin7b5. It is also known as the G half-diminished chord.
G m7b5 chord Notes:
Chord structure of the Minor Seventh Flat five chord:
Formula: 1 b3 b5 b7
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Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes are in the Gm7b5 chord?
Gm7b5 is G, Bb, Db and F. These are the root, minor third, flat fifth and minor seventh. Db is six semitones from G.
How is G half-diminished different from G minor seventh?
The fifth is lowered a semitone. G minor seventh has D, while Gm7b5 has Db. The Bb and F are identical in both chords.
Which scale works over Gm7b5?
The G Locrian scale, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, contains all four chord tones, so it is a reliable source of notes over the chord.
In which keys is Gm7b5 a diatonic chord?
Gm7b5 is the vii chord of Ab major and the ii chord of F minor. In F minor it sits where a ii chord normally leads to the dominant.
What do the minor third and minor seventh of Gm7b5 form together?
Bb, Db and F, the top three notes, spell a Bb minor triad. So Gm7b5 can be heard as a minor triad over a G bass.
