Chord · F Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)
Fm7♭5 Chord
Fm7♭5 is F, Ab, Cb and Eb — the ii in a minor ii-V-i.
Fm7♭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 Fm7♭5 is made of
F Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5) (F half-diminished 7th (m7♭5)) is built from the notes F, Ab, Cb, Eb, 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 F and you get F, Ab, Cb and Eb. 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 Fm7♭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 A♭ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain Fm7♭5
All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 4 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on F
Same root, different colour.
The same half diminished seventh shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Fm7b5
- What notes are in the Fm7b5 chord?
- Fm7b5 is made of F, Ab, Cb and Eb — the 1, b3, b5 and b7 degrees of a half diminished seventh chord built on F.
- What keys use the Fm7b5 chord?
- Every note of Fm7b5 belongs to 4 keys: F# Major (vii°), Gb Major (vii°), D# Minor (ii°), Eb Minor (ii°). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Fm7b5 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Fm7b5 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 Fm7♭5 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.