What notes are in the Ebm7b5 chord?

Ebm7b5 is made of Eb, Gb, A and Db — the 1, b3, b5 and b7 degrees of a half diminished seventh chord built on Eb.

What keys use the Ebm7b5 chord?

Every note of Ebm7b5 belongs to 2 keys: E Major (vii°), C# Minor (ii°). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.

How do you play Ebm7b5 on guitar and piano?

This page shows Ebm7b5 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.

Is Ebm7b5 the same as D#m7b5?

Yes. Ebm7b5 and D#m7b5 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Ebm7b5 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Chord · Eb Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)

E♭m7♭5 Chord

E♭m7♭5 is Eb, Gb, A and Db — the ii in a minor ii-V-i.

Hear it

E♭m7♭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 E♭m7♭5 is made of

Eb Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5) (Eb half-diminished 7th (m7♭5)) is built from the notes Eb, Gb, A, Db, 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 E♭ and you get Eb, Gb, A and Db. 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 E♭m7♭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 E♭m7♭5

All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 2 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.

Major keys

E Majorrooted on the vii°

Minor keys

C♯ Minorrooted on the ii°

Other chords on E♭

Same root, different colour.

E♭Eb Major E♭mEb Minor E♭dimEb Diminished E♭augEb Augmented E♭sus2Eb Suspended 2nd E♭sus4Eb Suspended 4th E♭5Eb Power Chord E♭6Eb Major 6th

The same half diminished seventh shape, moved

The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.

Cm7♭5C Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)Dm7♭5D Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)Em7♭5E Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)Fm7♭5F Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)Gm7♭5G Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)Am7♭5A Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)Bm7♭5B Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)C♯m7♭5C# Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)

Questions people ask about Ebm7b5

What notes are in the Ebm7b5 chord?: Ebm7b5 is made of Eb, Gb, A and Db — the 1, b3, b5 and b7 degrees of a half diminished seventh chord built on Eb.
What keys use the Ebm7b5 chord?: Every note of Ebm7b5 belongs to 2 keys: E Major (vii°), C# Minor (ii°). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
How do you play Ebm7b5 on guitar and piano?: This page shows Ebm7b5 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.
Is Ebm7b5 the same as D#m7b5?: Yes. Ebm7b5 and D#m7b5 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Ebm7b5 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Learn the theory behind it

Why E♭m7♭5 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.

Functional Harmony: Three Roles, One EngineDiminished chords are almost always doing a job. This explains which one.6 min read Cadences — The Four Ways a Phrase EndsWhere all that tension goes — how the chord resolves into the next one.4 min read Voice Leading — Hold What You Can, Move Only What You MustHalf-steps do the work here. Voice leading is how you find them.6 min read