Chord · A Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)
Am7♭5 Chord
Am7♭5 is A, C, Eb and G — the ii in a minor ii-V-i.
Am7♭5 on every instrument
The same 4 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What Am7♭5 is made of
A Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5) (A half-diminished 7th (m7♭5)) is built from the notes A, C, Eb, G, with the interval pattern 1, b3, b5, b7. A common half-diminished 7th (m7♭5) chord across many styles.
Stack 1, b3, b5 and b7 on a root of A and you get A, C, Eb and G. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a half diminished seventh chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Cm7♭5 sounds like a transposed Am7♭5.
Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5): The ii in a minor ii-V-i.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with E♭ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain Am7♭5
All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 2 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Major keys
Minor keys
Other chords on A
Same root, different colour.
The same half diminished seventh shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Am7b5
- What notes are in the Am7b5 chord?
- Am7b5 is made of A, C, Eb and G — the 1, b3, b5 and b7 degrees of a half diminished seventh chord built on A.
- What keys use the Am7b5 chord?
- Every note of Am7b5 belongs to 2 keys: Bb Major (vii°), G Minor (ii°). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Am7b5 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Am7b5 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 9 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why Am7♭5 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.