Em7b5 E half-diminished seventh chord
- Notes
- E G Bb D
- Formula
- 1 b3 b5 b7
- Semitones
- 0 3 6 10 above the root
- Other symbols
- Eø7, Eø, Em7(b5), Emin7b5
E to G is a minor third (3 semitones), G to Bb is a minor third (3 semitones), Bb to D is a major third (4 semitones). A diminished triad plus a minor seventh, D, so E to Bb is a tritone. It is also called half-diminished: the fully diminished Edim7 has a diminished seventh (9 semitones) instead. With G in the bass the same four keys read as Gm6.
Em7b5 on the piano
Root position from E4: E4, G4, Bb4, D5. Middle C is C4.
Em7b5 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has E as its lowest note.
x 7 8 7 8 x (low E to high e)
Sounds E3 Bb3 D4 G4
12 x 12 12 11 x (low E to high e)
Sounds E3 D4 G4 Bb4
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play half-diminished seventh chords on other roots.
Inversions of Em7b5
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | E G Bb D | Em7b5 | |
| 1st inversion | G Bb D E | Gm6 (also read as Em7b5/G) | |
| 2nd inversion | Bb D E G | Em7b5/Bb | |
| 3rd inversion | D E G Bb | Em7b5/D |
Where Em7b5 fits
Em7b5 is viiø7 in F major, iiø7 in D minor. As iiø7 it opens the minor ii–V–i: Em7b5 → A7 → Dm, the minor-key twin of the ii–V–I.