half-diminished seventh chord
F, A♭, C♭ and E♭
- Root
- F
- Minor third
- A♭
- Diminished fifth
- C♭
- Minor seventh
- E♭
Formula
1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 (3, 6, 10 half steps above F)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | F | A♭ | C♭ | E♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
C♭ is played on the white key B.
Fm7♭5 inversions
Fm7♭5 has 3 inversions. Each one keeps the same notes and puts a different one at the bottom, so your hand can stay close to the chord before or after it.
Fm7♭5
Root position
| Notes | F | A♭ | C♭ | E♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Fm7♭5/A♭
First inversion
| Notes | A♭ | C♭ | E♭ | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Fm7♭5/C♭
Second inversion
| Notes | C♭ | E♭ | F | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Fm7♭5/E♭
Third inversion
| Notes | E♭ | F | A♭ | C♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with Fm7♭5
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. Fm7♭5 appears as:
- viiø7 in G♭ major
- iiø7 in E♭ minor
How Fm7♭5 is built
F is the root, A♭ the minor third, C♭ the diminished fifth and E♭ the minor seventh.
A half-diminished seventh, written m7♭5 or ø7, is a diminished chord plus the minor seventh, 10 half steps above the root. It is the chord on the seventh note of a major key and on the second note of a minor key.
Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of Fm7♭5 are F, A, C, E. That is why it is spelled F, A♭, C♭ and E♭.
Find Fm7♭5 yourself
Without looking at the diagrams, find the chord on the keyboard, then each inversion. Saying the notes out loud as you tap them helps them stick.
Step 1 of 4
Tap the notes of Fm7♭5, in any octave and any order.
Practice Fm7♭5 in real music
MasterPiano gives you new music to read at your level and listens as you play, through a MIDI keyboard or your device's microphone, marking each note right or wrong.
Start freeQuestions
What notes are in the Fm7♭5 chord?
Fm7♭5 has four notes: F, A♭, C♭ and E♭. F is the root, A♭ the minor third, C♭ the diminished fifth and E♭ the minor seventh. C♭ is played on the white key B.
What fingers do you use for Fm7♭5 on piano?
In root position, play F, A♭, C♭ and E♭ with right hand fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 (thumb, index finger, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3, 2 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.
What are the inversions of Fm7♭5?
Fm7♭5 has 3 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (Fm7♭5/A♭): A♭, C♭, E♭ and F. Second inversion (Fm7♭5/C♭): C♭, E♭, F and A♭. Third inversion (Fm7♭5/E♭): E♭, F, A♭ and C♭.
What key is Fm7♭5 in?
Fm7♭5 appears as viiø7 in G♭ major and iiø7 in E♭ minor.