G half-diminished (m7♭5)
How to play Gm7♭5 — Half-diminished (m7♭5)
Gm7♭5 (Half-diminished (m7♭5))G · B♭ · D♭ · F
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
G half-diminished (m7♭5) — notes and structure
The Gm7♭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 Gm7♭5 half-diminished (m7♭5) consists of the notes G, B♭, D♭, F. 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.
Gm7♭5 stacks a minor third (B♭), a diminished fifth (D♭) and a minor seventh (F) above the root G.
The finder shows 2 ways to play Gm7♭5 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 6th fret. 1 of them use a barre.
What key is Gm7♭5 in?
Every note of Gm7♭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.
- A♭ major — the vii° chord
- F minor — the ii° chord
Chords that go with Gm7♭5
In A♭ major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Gm7♭5 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the G half-diminished (m7♭5) chord?
- The Gm7♭5 chord contains the notes G, B♭, D♭, F. 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 Gm7♭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 Gm7♭5 a hard chord to play?
- Some voicings use a barre, which takes practice, but the chord is very playable once that shape is comfortable.
- What key does Gm7♭5 belong to?
- Gm7♭5 fits A♭ major (where it is the vii° chord), F minor (where it is the ii° chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.