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Guitar chords · Half-diminished 7th

Am7♭5 chord on guitar (Am7b5)

Am7♭5 (A 7th) has four notes: A, C, E♭ and G, the , ♭3, ♭5 and ♭7.

Shapes

How to play Am7♭5

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

Am7♭5 has an , and one : the E shape at 5. A movable shape keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • Open (A shape)

    ××♭5♭3AE♭GC
  • E shape · fret 5

    4fr××R♭7♭3♭5AGCE♭
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes Am7♭5 half-diminished 7th

A is a with a minor 7th added, also written ø7. It is the vii chord of a major key with sevenths, and the ii chord of a minor key, where it leads into V in a minor ii–V–i.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The ♭3rd, the ♭5th and the ♭7th make Am7♭5 a .

  1. ARroot
  2. C♭3essential
  3. E♭♭5essential
  4. G♭7essential
EADGBE0135791215AAAAAAAAGCE♭GCE♭GCE♭GCE♭GCE♭GCE♭GCGCE♭G
  • A, the root
  • Other chord tones

Am7♭5 usually leads to D7 and then Gm: the iiø7–V7–i of G minor.

Keys

Keys with Am7♭5

Am7♭5 belongs to two keys: B♭ major (viiø7) and G minor (iiø7).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Progressions

Progressions with Am7♭5

Common progressions that use Am7♭5, each in a key that spells it Am7♭5. The outlined chord is Am7♭5.

  • Minor ii–V–i in G minor

    iiø7 – V7 – i7

    1. Am7♭5
    2. D7
    3. Gm7

    Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.

    Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves

Slash chords

Am7♭5 over another bass note

A keeps Am7♭5 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • Am7♭5/C

    Am7♭5 with its ♭3rd, C, in the bass: the first inversion.

  • Am7♭5/E♭

    Am7♭5 with its ♭5th, E♭, in the bass: the second inversion.

  • Am7♭5/G

    Am7♭5 with its ♭7th, G, in the bass: the third inversion.

Questions

Am7♭5, in short

What notes are in the Am7♭5 chord?
Am7♭5 (A 7th) has four notes: A, C, E♭ and G, the , ♭3, ♭5 and ♭7.
How do you play Am7♭5 on guitar?
Am7♭5 has an , and one : the E shape at 5.
What key is Am7♭5 in?
Am7♭5 belongs to two keys: B♭ major (viiø7) and G minor (iiø7).
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