B half-diminished (m7♭5)
How to play Bm7♭5 — Half-diminished (m7♭5)
Bm7♭5 (Half-diminished (m7♭5))B · D · F · A
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
B half-diminished (m7♭5) — notes and structure
The Bm7♭5 chord is the half-diminished chord: a minor seventh with a flattened fifth, the key ii chord of minor ii–V–i progressions.
The Bm7♭5 half-diminished (m7♭5) consists of the notes B, D, F, A. Its interval structure is R–3–5–7 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Bm7♭5 stacks a minor third (D), a diminished fifth (F) and a minor seventh (A) above the root B.
The finder shows 2 ways to play Bm7♭5 — an open-position shape. None of them need a barre.
What key is Bm7♭5 in?
Every note of Bm7♭5 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- C major — the vii° chord
- A minor — the ii° chord
Chords that go with Bm7♭5
In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Bm7♭5 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the B half-diminished (m7♭5) chord?
- The Bm7♭5 chord contains the notes B, D, F, A. It is the half-diminished chord: a minor seventh with a flattened fifth, the key ii chord of minor ii–V–i progressions.
- How many ways can you play Bm7♭5 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is Bm7♭5 a hard chord to play?
- It is fairly beginner-friendly — there is an open-position shape and none of the voicings need a barre.
- What key does Bm7♭5 belong to?
- Bm7♭5 fits C major (where it is the vii° chord), A minor (where it is the ii° chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.