As the ii in a minor ii-V-iF♯ minor
The minor cadence. G♯m7♭5 leads into the dominant, and the seventh is what makes it a ii rather than a diminished triad.
G♯m7♭5 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♯m7♭5 chord is a half-diminished chord built on the root note G♯. Its notes are G♯, B, D and F♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♭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
- G♯ · B · D · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 6 · 10
- Note
- G♯
- Quality
- Half-Diminished (m7♭5)
- Symbol
- G♯m7♭5
G♯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 G♯m7♭5 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G♯, index finger on B, middle finger on D and little finger on F♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ and F♯ are black keys and B and D are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- G♯1
- B♭3
- D♭5
- F♯♭7
G♯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, G♯m7♭5 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 4: 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.
G♯ · B · D · F♯
Play G♯m7♭5 on the online piano
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G♯m7♭5 chord notes
Also known as A♭m7♭5
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♯(G#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | B | |
| ♭5 | Diminished fifth | 6 | D | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | F♯(F#) |
How to use the G♯m7♭5 chord
The G♯m7♭5 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a diminished fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root G♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G♯, B, D and F♯. 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 G♯m7♭5 is the viiø7 in A major; in minor keys it's the iiø7 in F♯ minor.
How G♯m7♭5 differs from similar chords
G♯m7♭5 differs from G♯m7 by one lowered note, the fifth, and from G♯°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 G♯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.
As the leading-tone chordA major
- viiø7G♯m7♭5
- Imaj7Amaj7
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 G♯m7♭5 chord?
- The G♯m7♭5 chord contains G♯, B, D and F♯ (G#, B, D and F# in plain text).
- Is the G♯m7♭5 chord major or minor?
- G♯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.
- What key is the G♯m7♭5 chord in?
- In major keys G♯m7♭5 is the viiø7 in A major; in minor keys it's the iiø7 in F♯ minor.
- How do you play G♯m7♭5 on piano?
- Place your fingers on G♯, B, D and F♯ 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 G♯ and F♯ are black keys and B and D are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♯m7♭5 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 4: 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 is another name for the G♯m7♭5 chord?
- G♯m7♭5 is enharmonically equivalent to A♭m7♭5. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.