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F minor 7th flat 5th chord on bass (Fm7♭5)
Also called or written Fm7♭5, F or F Half Diminished Minor 7
F minor 7th flat 5th contains F, A♭, C♭ and E♭. The 1st-fret shape requires a wide stretch between the index and pinky fingers.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionF–A♭–C♭–E♭Fm7♭51-2-1-1
- First inversionA♭–C♭–E♭–FFm7♭5/A♭no shape on this instrument
- Second inversionC♭–E♭–F–A♭Fm7♭5/C♭7-8-6-8
- Third inversionE♭–F–A♭–C♭Fm7♭5/E♭11-11-9-10
How do you play an F minor 7th flat 5th chord on bass?
F minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 1st fret as 1 2 1 1: index finger on the E string at fret 1, pinky finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the G string at fret 1.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (1) |
| 3 (A) | 2 | 4 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 2 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (G) | 1 | 3 | A♭ (♭3) |
AdvancedThe wide stretch between the index finger on the 4th string and the pinky on the 3rd string at the 1st fret is the hardest part.
13th fret
F minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 13th fret as 13 14 13 13: index finger on the E string at fret 13, pinky finger on the A string at fret 14, middle finger on the D string at fret 13 and ring finger on the G string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 13 | 1 | F (1) |
| 3 (A) | 14 | 4 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 2 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (G) | 13 | 3 | A♭ (♭3) |
Fm7♭5/C♭ inversion
F minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 6th fret as 7 8 6 8: middle finger on the E string at fret 7, ring finger on the A string at fret 8, index finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 7 | 2 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (A) | 8 | 3 | F (1) |
| 2 (D) | 6 | 1 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (♭7) |
Fm7♭5/E♭ inversion
F minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 9th fret as 11 11 9 10: ring finger on the E string at fret 11, pinky finger on the A string at fret 11, index finger on the D string at fret 9 and middle finger on the G string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11 | 3 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (A) | 11 | 4 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (D) | 9 | 1 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (1) |
Why it sounds like that
F minor 7th flat 5th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between F and C♭ creates the chord's characteristic tension. Raising the ♭5 to a perfect 5th produces F minor 7th, the closest stable contrast.
What goes wrong with F minor 7th flat 5th?
- Letting the pinky collapse and mute the 2nd string.
- Fretting the 1st string with the ring finger too far from the fret, causing a buzz.
- Allowing the index finger to touch the 3rd string and deaden the F.
When to use it
F minor 7th flat 5th functions as the ii chord in E♭ natural minor and the vii chord in F♯ major. Use it in minor-key jazz and blues lines where the half-diminished colour leads to a dominant. It pairs naturally with F minor and F 5th.
Changing to and from F minor 7th flat 5th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives F♯ minor 7th flat 5th.
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives G minor 7th flat 5th.
Which voicing to use
The 1st-fret root position keeps F in the bass for a grounded sound. The Fm7♭5/C♭ inversion at the 7th fret places the diminished 5th in the bass, creating a darker, less stable feel. Choose the Fm7♭5/E♭ inversion when the bass line needs to descend to E♭.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F minor 7th flat 5th written?
F minor 7th flat 5th is written as Fm7♭5, and it is also called Half Diminished Minor 7.
What is the difference between F minor 7th flat 5th and F diminished?
F minor 7th flat 5th adds a minor 7th to the diminished triad. F diminished has only the root, ♭3 and ♭5.
Why does F minor 7th flat 5th sound unstable?
The tritone between F and C♭ creates tension that wants to resolve. This instability makes the chord useful as a passing harmony.