B flat half-diminished (Bbm7(b5)) chord on cavaquinho

Notes: B♭D♭F♭A♭
Formula: 1♭3♭5♭7

How to play Bbm7(b5) on cavaquinho

Shape 1 · fret 5
Shape 2 · fret 2 · barre
Shape 3 · fret 8
Shape 4 · fret 5
Shape 5 · fret 8
Shape 6 · fret 2

Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. x = do not play the string, o = open string. The coloured dot is the root (B flat).

Bbm7(b5) inversions on cavaquinho

On the cavaquinho a seventh chord fits whole on the 4 strings, one note on each, and that is how it accompanies in choro. Below are the positions with the root, the 3rd, the 5th and the 7th on the lowest string (in sixth chords the 6th does not go to the bass: that would rename the chord), whenever the position fits the hand.

Root (B♭) in the bassroot position · Bbm7(b5)
Root (B♭) in the bassroot position · Bbm7(b5)
3rd (D♭) in the bass1st inversion · Bbm7(b5)/Db
5th (F♭) in the bass2nd inversion · Bbm7(b5)/Fb
7th (A♭) in the bass3rd inversion · Bbm7(b5)/Ab
7th (A♭) in the bass3rd inversion · Bbm7(b5)/Ab

About the half-diminished chord

The half-diminished chord sounds tense and unstable, but less harsh than the fully diminished one. It is the ii chord of a minor key (Bm7♭5 → E7 → Am) and the vii chord of a major key; common in jazz, bolero and romantic songs in minor keys.

Notes and intervals of Bbm7(b5)

Bbm7(b5) (B flat half-diminished) is built from 4 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:

B♭ · 1 · root
D♭ · ♭3 · minor third
F♭ · ♭5 · diminished fifth
A♭ · ♭7 · minor seventh

Other B flat chords

Half-diminished: other roots

Frequently asked questions

How do you play the Bbm7(b5) chord on cavaquinho?

Bbm7(b5) (B flat half-diminished) has 6 fingerings on this page, from easiest to hardest. Each diagram shows the fingers, the open strings (o) and the strings you do not play (x), and you can hear every shape.

What notes are in Bbm7(b5)?

The notes of Bbm7(b5) are B♭, D♭, F♭, A♭. The formula is 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7: root, minor third, diminished fifth, minor seventh.

What does Bbm7(b5) mean?

Bbm7(b5) is the chord symbol for B flat half-diminished. The half-diminished chord sounds tense and unstable, but less harsh than the fully diminished one. It is the ii chord of a minor key (Bm7♭5 → E7 → Am) and the vii chord of a major key; common in jazz, bolero and romantic songs in minor keys.

Can I play Bbm7(b5) on other instruments?

Yes. Bbm7(b5) also has a page on guitar, on ukulele, with the fingerings for each instrument.

Bbm7(b5) on other instruments

All cavaquinho chords