Piano chord
Fm7♭5F half-diminished
- F1
- A♭♭3
- C♭♭5
- E♭♭7
- Notes
- 4
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 10semitones
- Fingers
- 1-2-3-5
How to play Fm7♭5 on piano
- Find F: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Right hand: 1 on F, 2 on A♭, 3 on C♭, 5 on E♭.
- Or with the left hand: 5 on F, 4 on A♭, 3 on C♭, 1 on E♭.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · F – A♭ – C♭ – E♭
1st inversion · A♭ – C♭ – E♭ – F
2nd inversion · C♭ – E♭ – F – A♭
3rd inversion · E♭ – F – A♭ – C♭
Numbers on the keys are fingers: 1 thumb, 2 index, 3 middle, 4 ring, 5 little finger.
Fm7♭5 inversions
Here are all 4 positions of Fm7♭5. The notes stay the same, only their order changes: root position has F at the bottom, and every inversion starts on the next chord tone.
- Root positionbass: FRight hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
- 1st inversionbass: A♭Right hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
- 2nd inversionbass: C♭Right hand 1-3-4-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
- 3rd inversionbass: E♭Right hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
Chords that go with Fm7♭5
The other chords of F sharp major, the key where Fm7♭5 is home (viiø7). Songs in this key move between them.
Fm7♭5 with two hands
A full sound: the left hand plays F an octave lower, the right hand plays F–A♭–C♭–E♭.
Fm7♭5 on other instruments
About the Fm7♭5 chord
The 4 notes of F half-diminished are F (1), A♭ (♭3), C♭ (♭5), E♭ (♭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.
Put your thumb on F and count up: F – A♭ – C♭ – E♭. The whole chord spans 10 semitones from bottom to top. That fits inside an octave, so one hand covers Fm7♭5 without stretching.
The inversions of Fm7♭5 keep the same notes in a new order. In the 1st inversion the bass is A♭ (A♭–C♭–E♭–F). In the 2nd inversion the bass is C♭ (C♭–E♭–F–A♭). In the 3rd inversion the bass is E♭ (E♭–F–A♭–C♭).
Add E♭ to Fdim and you have Fm7♭5.
Fm7♭5 belongs to F sharp major (viiø7), E flat minor (iiø7).
Questions
What notes are in the Fm7♭5 chord?
Fm7♭5 (F half-diminished) has 4 notes: F (1), A♭ (♭3), C♭ (♭5), E♭ (♭7).
How many inversions does Fm7♭5 have?
Fm7♭5 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (F–A♭–C♭–E♭); 1st inversion (A♭–C♭–E♭–F); 2nd inversion (C♭–E♭–F–A♭); 3rd inversion (E♭–F–A♭–C♭).
What is the difference between Fm7♭5 and Fdim?
Add E♭ to Fdim and you have Fm7♭5.
Can I play Fm7♭5 with one hand?
Yes. In root position Fm7♭5 spans 10 semitones, less than an octave, so one hand holds it easily.