As the ii in a minor ii-V-iG♭ minor
The minor cadence. A♭m7♭5 leads into the dominant, and the seventh is what makes it a ii rather than a diminished triad.
A♭m7♭5 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The A♭m7♭5 chord is a half-diminished chord built on the root note A♭. Its notes are A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as G♯m7♭5.
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Short answer
Half-diminished chords (m7♭5) sit between a diminished triad and a minor seventh. They're the signature ii chord in minor keys and show up constantly in jazz standards and moody ballads.
- Notes
- A♭ · C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 6 · 10
- Note
- A♭
- Quality
- Half-Diminished (m7♭5)
- Symbol
- A♭m7♭5
A♭m7♭5 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play A♭m7♭5 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A♭, index finger on C♭, middle finger on E𝄫 and little finger on G♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A♭1
- C♭♭3
- E𝄫♭5
- G♭♭7
A♭m7♭5 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, A♭m7♭5 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre shape: keep the index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.
A♭m7♭5 chord notes
Also known as G♯m7♭5
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♭(Ab) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | C♭(Cb) | |
| ♭5 | Diminished fifth | 6 | E𝄫(Ebb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | G♭(Gb) |
How to use the A♭m7♭5 chord
The A♭m7♭5 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a diminished fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root A♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Half-diminished chords are most common in jazz standards. They frequently act as the iiø of a minor ii-V-i, leading into the dominant that resolves to a minor tonic.
Where A♭m7♭5 is used
A half-diminished seventh has one main use: it is the ii of a minor key, leading into the dominant. A major key builds the same chord on its seventh degree.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the A♭m7♭5 chord?
- The A♭m7♭5 chord contains A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G♭ (Ab, Cb, Ebb and Gb in plain text).
- Is the A♭m7♭5 chord major or minor?
- A♭m7♭5 is a half-diminished chord. Half-diminished chords (m7♭5) sit between a diminished triad and a minor seventh. They're the signature ii chord in minor keys and show up constantly in jazz standards and moody ballads.
- How do you play A♭m7♭5 on piano?
- Place your fingers on A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G♭ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right.
- How do you play A♭m7♭5 on guitar?
- A♭m7♭5 is typically played with the fingering shown in the diagram above. If one of the chord tones lines up with an open string, an open position is worth trying too.
- What is another name for the A♭m7♭5 chord?
- A♭m7♭5 is enharmonically equivalent to G♯m7♭5. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.