Fm7♭5

Fm7♭5 is the f half-diminished chord, spelled F – A♭ – C♭ – E♭. the half-diminished — a minor seventh with a flattened fifth, the classic ii chord in minor keys.

The keys
C4C5C6
F – A♭ – C♭ – E♭
Practise this chord

Plug in your MIDI keyboard and let Coach Tshepho drill you on Fm7♭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 Fm7♭5
NoteInterval from rootDegree
FRoot1
A♭Minor 3rdb3
C♭Diminished 5thb5
E♭Minor 7thb7
Inversions
PositionKeys (low → high)
Root positionF4 – A♭4 – B4 – E♭5
1st inversionA♭4 – B4 – E♭5 – F5
2nd inversionB4 – E♭5 – F5 – A♭5
3rd inversionE♭5 – F5 – A♭5 – B5
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)F2 – E♭3
Right (colour)A♭4 – B4
Where Fm7♭5 lives

As the ii chord

Fm7♭5 → B♭7 → E♭maj7

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

Stepwise colour

F → Fm7♭5 → Gm7

Used as a passing colour between neighbouring chords.

Put Fm7♭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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