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F sharp half-diminished (F#m7(b5)) chord on guitar

Notes
F♯ACE
Formula
1♭3♭5♭7

How to play F#m7(b5) on guitar

  1. Shape 1 · 1st position

    F#m7(b5) chord on guitar, shape 1: first position, with open strings, notes F#, A, C, E

  2. Shape 2 · fret 2 · barre

    F#m7(b5) chord on guitar, shape 2: barre at fret 2, notes F#, A, C, E

  3. Shape 3 · fret 4

    F#m7(b5) chord on guitar, shape 3: from fret 4, notes F#, A, C, E

  4. Shape 4 · fret 9

    F#m7(b5) chord on guitar, shape 4: from fret 9, notes F#, A, C, E

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

F#m7(b5) inversions on guitar

The same F#m7(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 (A) in the bass1st inversion · F#m7(b5)/A

    F sharp half-diminished, F#m7(b5)/A, x04210F♯m7(♭5)/A421AF♯ACEmetronotuner.com

  2. 3rd (A) in the bass1st inversion · F#m7(b5)/A

    F sharp half-diminished, F#m7(b5)/A, 534555F♯m7(♭5)/A33124ACF♯CEAmetronotuner.com

  3. 5th (C) in the bass2nd inversion · F#m7(b5)/C

    F sharp half-diminished, F#m7(b5)/C, x34210F♯m7(♭5)/C3421CF♯ACEmetronotuner.com

  4. 5th (C) in the bass2nd inversion · F#m7(b5)/C

    F sharp half-diminished, F#m7(b5)/C, x34555F♯m7(♭5)/C3123CF♯CEAmetronotuner.com

  5. 7th (E) in the bass3rd inversion · F#m7(b5)/E

    F sharp half-diminished, F#m7(b5)/E, 004210F♯m7(♭5)/E421EAF♯ACEmetronotuner.com

  6. 7th (E) in the bass3rd inversion · F#m7(b5)/E

    F sharp half-diminished, F#m7(b5)/E, x74555F♯m7(♭5)/E4412EF♯CEAmetronotuner.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 F#m7(b5)

F#m7(b5) (F sharp half-diminished) is built from 4 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:

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

Other F sharp chords

Half-diminished: other roots

Arpeggio

Frequently asked questions

How do you play the F#m7(b5) chord on guitar?

F#m7(b5) (F sharp 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 F#m7(b5)?

The notes of F#m7(b5) are F♯, A, C, E. The formula is 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7: root, minor third, diminished fifth, minor seventh.

What does F#m7(b5) mean?

F#m7(b5) is the chord symbol for F sharp 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 F#m7(b5) on other instruments?

Yes. F#m7(b5) also has a page on ukulele, on cavaquinho, with the fingerings for each instrument.

F#m7(b5) on other instruments

All guitar chords