Bm7♭5

Bm7♭5 is the b half-diminished chord, spelled B – D – F – A. the half-diminished — a minor seventh with a flattened fifth, the classic ii chord in minor keys.

The keys
C4C5C6
B – D – F – A
Practise this chord

Plug in your MIDI keyboard and let Coach Tshepho drill you on Bm7♭5 — it plays the chord, names any wrong notes as you play, and moves you on when you nail it.

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What's inside Bm7♭5
NoteInterval from rootDegree
BRoot1
DMinor 3rdb3
FDiminished 5thb5
AMinor 7thb7
Inversions
PositionKeys (low → high)
Root positionB4 – D5 – F5 – A5
1st inversionD5 – F5 – A5 – B5
2nd inversionF5 – A5 – B5 – D6
3rd inversionA5 – B5 – D6 – F6
A working voicing

Split the chord between two hands the way working players do — a solid shell low down, the colour tones up top:

HandKeys
Left (shell)B2 – A3
Right (colour)D5 – F5
Where Bm7♭5 lives

As the ii chord

Bm7♭5 → E7 → Amaj7

Minor-family sevenths live on the ii — this is the move they were born for.

Stepwise colour

B → Bm7♭5 → D♭m7

Used as a passing colour between neighbouring chords.

Put Bm7♭5 under your fingers

Hear every voicing, see the keys light up, and drill it in the interactive Chord & Voicing Lab.

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