As the ii in a minor ii-V-iG minor
The minor cadence. Am7♭5 leads into the dominant, and the seventh is what makes it a ii rather than a diminished triad.
Am7♭5 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Am7♭5 chord is a half-diminished chord built on the root note A. Its notes are A, C, E♭ and G.
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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
- Am7♭5
Am7♭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 Am7♭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. On the keyboard E♭ is a black key and A, C and G are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A1
- C♭3
- E♭♭5
- G♭7
Am7♭5 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Am7♭5 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 5: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play strings 2 and 1.
A · C · E♭ · G
Try Am7♭5 on the virtual piano
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Am7♭5 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | C | |
| ♭5 | Diminished fifth | 6 | E♭(Eb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | G |
How to use the Am7♭5 chord
The Am7♭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.
In major keys Am7♭5 is the viiø7 in B♭ major; in minor keys it's the iiø7 in G minor.
How Am7♭5 differs from similar chords
Am7♭5 differs from Am7 by one lowered note, the fifth, and from A°7 by one raised note, the seventh. That in-between position is where the name half-diminished comes from. In a minor key it is the ii chord, so it almost always leads to a dominant seventh.
Where Am7♭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.
As the leading-tone chordB♭ major
- viiø7Am7♭5
- Imaj7B♭maj7
The chord a major key builds on its seventh degree, resolving up a semitone onto the tonic.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the Am7♭5 chord?
- The Am7♭5 chord contains A, C, E♭ and G (A, C, Eb and G in plain text).
- Is the Am7♭5 chord major or minor?
- Am7♭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.
- What key is the Am7♭5 chord in?
- In major keys Am7♭5 is the viiø7 in B♭ major; in minor keys it's the iiø7 in G minor.
- How do you play Am7♭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. On the keyboard E♭ is a black key and A, C and G are white.
- How do you play Am7♭5 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 5: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play strings 2 and 1.
- What chords work well with Am7♭5?
- Am7♭5 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.