Half Diminished chords
A half-diminished seventh chord has four notes: the root, minor third, tritone and minor seventh. Its formula is 1 b3 b5 b7. The root, minor 3rd, flat 5th and flat 7th, also called half diminished. It is the vii chord of a major key and the ii chord in a minor ii V i.
On C it is written Cm7b5, and also Cø, Cø7, Cmin7b5 and C-7b5.
Half Diminished chords in every key
| Chord | Notes | Shapes |
|---|---|---|
| Cm7b5 | C Eb Gb Bb | guitar · piano |
| C#m7b5 | C# E G B | guitar · piano |
| Dm7b5 | D F Ab C | guitar · piano |
| Ebm7b5 | Eb Gb Bbb Db | guitar · piano |
| Em7b5 | E G Bb D | guitar · piano |
| Fm7b5 | F Ab Cb Eb | guitar · piano |
| F#m7b5 | F# A C E | guitar · piano |
| Gm7b5 | G Bb Db F | guitar · piano |
| G#m7b5 | G# B D F# | guitar · piano |
| Am7b5 | A C Eb G | guitar · piano |
| Bbm7b5 | Bb Db Fb Ab | guitar · piano |
| Bm7b5 | B D F A | guitar · piano |
Half Diminished compared
| Chord | Symbol | Formula | Notes | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half Diminished | Cm7b5 | 1 b3 b5 b7 | C Eb Gb Bb | |
| Diminished 7 | Cdim7 | 1 b3 b5 bb7 | C Eb Gb Bbb | Cdim7 and Cm7b5 share C, Eb and Gb. Cdim7 has Bbb, the double flat 7th, where Cm7b5 has Bb, the flat 7th. |
| Minor 7 | Cm7 | 1 b3 5 b7 | C Eb G Bb | Cm7 and Cm7b5 share C, Eb and Bb. Cm7 has G, the 5th, where Cm7b5 has Gb, the flat 5th. |
| Diminished | Cdim | 1 b3 b5 | C Eb Gb | Cdim is Cm7b5 (C, Eb, Gb and Bb) without Bb, the flat 7th. |
Questions
What is a half-diminished seventh chord?
A half-diminished seventh chord has four notes: the root, minor third, tritone and minor seventh. Its formula is 1 b3 b5 b7. The root, minor 3rd, flat 5th and flat 7th, also called half diminished. It is the vii chord of a major key and the ii chord in a minor ii V i.
How do you write a half-diminished seventh chord?
On C it is written Cm7b5, and also Cø, Cø7, Cmin7b5 and C-7b5.
What is the difference between Cm7b5 and Cdim7?
Cm7b5 and Cdim7 share C, Eb and Gb. Cm7b5 has Bb, the flat 7th, where Cdim7 has Bbb, the double flat 7th.