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E Half-Diminished (Em7b5) Chord Guitar

A ringing open half-diminished — the ii of D minor.

EADGBEA#D
Root3rd5th7th
E
Root
EBass6th string
FretOpen
Finger
A#
5th
A5th string
Fret1
Finger1 index
D
7th
D4th string
FretOpen
Finger
G
3rd
G3rd string
FretOpen
Finger
D
7th
B2nd string
Fret3
Finger3 ring
E
Root
e1st string
FretOpen
Finger
NotesE – A# – D – G
Formula1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7
Voicing010030
TonesE×2·G×1·A#×1·D×2
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Questions about E Half-Diminished (Em7b5)

What notes are in a E Half-Diminished (Em7b5) chord?

A E Half-Diminished (Em7b5) chord contains the notes E, A#, D, G. It is built from the half-diminished formula 1 - ♭3 - ♭5 - ♭7, with E as the root.

When would I use an Em7b5 chord?

Most often as the ii chord in a D minor ii-V-i: Em7b5 moves to A7, which resolves to Dm. It also appears as the vii chord in the key of F major. Any time a progression wants a tense chord that leans toward a minor resolution, a half-diminished like Em7b5 is the natural choice.

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