Em7♭5 chord on piano
Em7♭5 (E half-diminished) is a half-diminished chord built on E. It has 4 notes, E, G, B♭ and D, and its formula is 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7.
Notes and intervals of Em7♭5
From the root upwards, Em7♭5 contains root (E), minor 3rd (G), diminished 5th (B♭) and minor 7th (D). Those intervals give the chord its colour: the formula 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 works the same way in every key, so once you know it for E you can build the chord on any note.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | E |
| ♭3 | minor 3rd | G |
| ♭5 | diminished 5th | B♭ |
| ♭7 | minor 7th | D |
How to play Em7♭5 on piano
Find E and play E, G, B♭ and D together. With the right hand, a common fingering is 1-2-3-5. With the left hand, reverse it (5-3-2-1). Keep your wrist level and let the fingers curve, so all 4 keys go down at the same time.
Inversions of Em7♭5
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts another one in the bass. Em7♭5 has 3 inversions besides root position: 1st inversion (G B♭ D E), 2nd inversion (B♭ D E G) and 3rd inversion (D E G B♭). Inversions let you move between chords with tiny hand movements, which is how pianists make progressions sound smooth.
Which keys use Em7♭5?
You find Em7♭5 as a diatonic chord in F major (viiø7). The most common case is F major, where it plays the role of viiø7.
Scales to play over Em7♭5
To improvise over Em7♭5, start with E blues scale. All of these scales contain every note of the chord: E blues scale and E Locrian mode. Aim for the chord notes on strong beats and use the other notes to move between them.
About half-diminished chords
A diminished triad plus a minor seventh: 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7. Called half-diminished (ø), it is dark and unsettled but softer than a full diminished seventh, because its seventh is minor. It sounds like a question, a sigh that wants to move on. For example Bm7♭5: B D F A.
Its main home is the minor ii-V-i: iiø7 V7 i (for example Bm7♭5 E7 Am). In a major key it sits on viiø7. Jazz, bossa nova and neo-soul use it constantly, and it can also stand in for ivm6 in a minor key, since both chords share the same notes (for example Bm7♭5 and Dm6).
Root position 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 works; jazz pianists usually play the root and ♭7 in the left hand and ♭3 and ♭5 in the right, sometimes adding the 11. In a minor ii-V-i, voice-lead: the ♭3 of iiø7 stays as the ♭7 of V7, and the ♭7 of iiø7 moves down a semitone to the 3 of V7.
m7♭5 is not dim7: dim7 has a diminished seventh (A♭ in Bdim7), m7♭5 a minor seventh (A in Bm7♭5). It is not m6 either, although the two share notes: the bass decides. And remember that m7♭5, m7(♭5), -7♭5 and ø7 are all names for the same chord.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Em7♭5 chord?
Em7♭5 (E half-diminished) contains E, G, B♭ and D. In intervals: root (E), minor 3rd (G), diminished 5th (B♭) and minor 7th (D).
How do you play Em7♭5 on piano?
Play E, G, B♭ and D together with the right-hand fingering 1-2-3-5. You can also play it in 3 inversions, shown on this page.
What scale goes with Em7♭5?
E blues scale fits Em7♭5 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: E Locrian mode.
What key is Em7♭5 in?
Em7♭5 belongs to F major (viiø7). In F major it is the viiø7 chord.
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