Chord type
Half Diminished Chords on Piano
The half-diminished chord (m7♭5) is a diminished triad with a minor seventh, darker than a minor 7th but softer than a fully diminished 7th. It is essential for minor-key jazz harmony, serving as the ii chord in minor-key ii–V–i progressions.
Pick a key to hear and see it below. Each key opens a full reference entry with a keyboard diagram, audio, inversions, fingerings, and notation.
Featured key
C Half Diminished Chord
Notes: C - E♭ - G♭ - B♭
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Open the full C Half Diminished Chord reference ›Formula: Root – Minor 3rd – Diminished 5th – Minor 7th
Intervals: 3 + 3 + 4 semitones
Scale degrees: 1–♭3–♭5–♭7
Sound: Dark, moody, tense, yearning
Symbol: m7♭5, ø, ø7 (Cm7♭5, Cø)
The minor-key ii–V–i: Half-diminished chords are most commonly the ii chord in minor keys. For example, Dm7♭5 → G7 → Cm is a standard jazz minor cadence. Every jazz musician must know half-diminished chords in all keys. They appear in nearly every minor-key standard.
Half Diminished Chord in All 18 Keys
All 18 spellings, ♯ and ♭ keys listed separately.
C Half Diminished ChordNotes: C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭C♯ Half Diminished ChordNotes: C♯ – E – G – BD♭ Half Diminished ChordNotes: D♭ – F♭ – A♭♭ – C♭D Half Diminished ChordNotes: D – F – A♭ – CD♯ Half Diminished ChordNotes: D♯ – F♯ – A – C♯E♭ Half Diminished ChordNotes: E♭ – G♭ – B♭♭ – D♭E Half Diminished ChordNotes: E – G – B♭ – DF Half Diminished ChordNotes: F – A♭ – C♭ – E♭F♯ Half Diminished ChordNotes: F♯ – A – C – EG♭ Half Diminished ChordNotes: G♭ – B♭♭ – D♭♭ – F♭G Half Diminished ChordNotes: G – B♭ – D♭ – FG♯ Half Diminished ChordNotes: G♯ – B – D – F♯A♭ Half Diminished ChordNotes: A♭ – C♭ – E♭♭ – G♭A Half Diminished ChordNotes: A – C – E♭ – GA♯ Half Diminished ChordNotes: A♯ – C♯ – E – G♯B♭ Half Diminished ChordNotes: B♭ – D♭ – F♭ – A♭B Half Diminished ChordNotes: B – D – F – AC♭ Half Diminished ChordNotes: C♭ – E♭♭ – G♭♭ – B♭♭