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A half-diminished (Am7(b5)) chord on guitar

Notes
ACE♭G
Formula
1♭3♭5♭7

How to play Am7(b5) on guitar

  1. Shape 1 · 1st position

    Am7(b5) chord on guitar, shape 1: first position, with open strings, notes A, C, Eb, G

  2. Shape 2 · fret 5 · barre

    Am7(b5) chord on guitar, shape 2: barre at fret 5, notes A, C, Eb, G

  3. Shape 3 · fret 7

    Am7(b5) chord on guitar, shape 3: from fret 7, notes A, C, Eb, G

  4. Shape 4 · fret 3

    Am7(b5) chord on guitar, shape 4: from fret 3, notes A, C, Eb, G

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 (A). The same shapes work on acoustic, classical and electric guitar.

Am7(b5) inversions on guitar

The same Am7(b5) with another chord note in the bass (the lowest note that sounds). The notes stay the same, but the colour changes, and the bass line can move by step from one chord to the next. In a chord symbol, the bass comes after the slash.

  1. 3rd (C) in the bass1st inversion · Am7(b5)/C

    A half-diminished, Am7(b5)/C, x31213Am7(♭5)/C3124CE♭ACGmetronotuner.com

  2. 3rd (C) in the bass1st inversion · Am7(b5)/C

    A half-diminished, Am7(b5)/C, 867888Am7(♭5)/C63124CE♭AE♭GCmetronotuner.com

  3. 5th (E♭) in the bass2nd inversion · Am7(b5)/Eb

    A half-diminished, Am7(b5)/Eb, xx1213Am7(♭5)/E♭1324E♭ACGmetronotuner.com

  4. 5th (E♭) in the bass2nd inversion · Am7(b5)/Eb

    A half-diminished, Am7(b5)/Eb, x67888Am7(♭5)/E♭6123E♭AE♭GCmetronotuner.com

  5. 7th (G) in the bass3rd inversion · Am7(b5)/G

    A half-diminished, Am7(b5)/G, 301013Am7(♭5)/G3124GAE♭GCGmetronotuner.com

  6. 7th (G) in the bass3rd inversion · Am7(b5)/G

    A half-diminished, Am7(b5)/G, xx5545Am7(♭5)/G42314GCE♭Ametronotuner.com

Jazz voicings

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 Am7(b5)

Am7(b5) (A half-diminished) is built from 4 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:

  • A · 1 · root
  • C · ♭3 · minor third
  • E♭ · ♭5 · diminished fifth
  • G · ♭7 · minor seventh

Other A chords

Half-diminished: other roots

Arpeggio

Frequently asked questions

How do you play the Am7(b5) chord on guitar?

Am7(b5) (A half-diminished) has 4 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 Am7(b5)?

The notes of Am7(b5) are A, C, E♭, G. The formula is 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7: root, minor third, diminished fifth, minor seventh.

What does Am7(b5) mean?

Am7(b5) is the chord symbol for A 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 Am7(b5) on other instruments?

Yes. Am7(b5) also has a page on ukulele, on cavaquinho, with the fingerings for each instrument.

Am7(b5) on other instruments

All guitar chords