Piano chord
B♭m7♭5B flat half-diminished
- B♭1
- D♭♭3
- F♭♭5
- A♭♭7
- Notes
- 4
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 10semitones
- Fingers
- 1-2-3-5
How to play B♭m7♭5 on piano
- Find B♭: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Right hand: 1 on B♭, 2 on D♭, 3 on F♭, 5 on A♭.
- Or with the left hand: 5 on B♭, 4 on D♭, 3 on F♭, 1 on A♭.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · B♭ – D♭ – F♭ – A♭
1st inversion · D♭ – F♭ – A♭ – B♭
2nd inversion · F♭ – A♭ – B♭ – D♭
3rd inversion · A♭ – B♭ – D♭ – F♭
Numbers on the keys are fingers: 1 thumb, 2 index, 3 middle, 4 ring, 5 little finger.
B♭m7♭5 inversions
Use these 4 positions to move between chords with as little hand movement as possible. Root position starts on B♭; the inversions start on the other notes of the chord.
- Root positionbass: B♭Right hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
- 1st inversionbass: D♭Right hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
- 2nd inversionbass: F♭Right hand 1-3-4-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
- 3rd inversionbass: A♭Right hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
Chords that go with B♭m7♭5
The other chords of B major, the key where B♭m7♭5 is home (viiø7). Songs in this key move between them.
B♭m7♭5 with two hands
A full sound: the left hand plays B♭ an octave lower, the right hand plays B♭–D♭–F♭–A♭.
B♭m7♭5 on other instruments
About the B♭m7♭5 chord
To build B flat half-diminished, take these 4 notes from the root up: B♭ (1), D♭ (♭3), F♭ (♭5), A♭ (♭7). A half-diminished chord: a diminished triad with the flat seventh. It is the ii chord in minor keys and leads to the dominant.
On the keyboard, start from B♭ and add the other notes above it: B♭ – D♭ – F♭ – A♭. From the lowest to the highest key that is 10 semitones. That is less than an octave, so B♭m7♭5 sits comfortably under one hand.
Each inversion of B♭m7♭5 puts a different note in the bass. In the 1st inversion the bass is D♭ (D♭–F♭–A♭–B♭). In the 2nd inversion the bass is F♭ (F♭–A♭–B♭–D♭). In the 3rd inversion the bass is A♭ (A♭–B♭–D♭–F♭).
Compared with B♭dim, B♭m7♭5 has one more note, A♭.
Keys that contain B♭m7♭5: B major (viiø7), G sharp minor (iiø7).
Questions
What notes are in the B♭m7♭5 chord?
B♭m7♭5 (B flat half-diminished) has 4 notes: B♭ (1), D♭ (♭3), F♭ (♭5), A♭ (♭7).
How many inversions does B♭m7♭5 have?
B♭m7♭5 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (B♭–D♭–F♭–A♭); 1st inversion (D♭–F♭–A♭–B♭); 2nd inversion (F♭–A♭–B♭–D♭); 3rd inversion (A♭–B♭–D♭–F♭).
What is the difference between B♭m7♭5 and B♭dim?
Compared with B♭dim, B♭m7♭5 has one more note, A♭.
Can I play B♭m7♭5 with one hand?
Yes. In root position B♭m7♭5 spans 10 semitones, less than an octave, so one hand holds it easily.