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A minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar (Am7♭5)
Also called or written Am7♭5, A or A Half Diminished Minor 7
A minor 7th flat 5th contains A, C, E♭, and G. The open voicing demands a wide stretch across the first three frets.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionA–C–E♭–GAm7♭5×-0-1-0-1-3
- First inversionC–E♭–G–AAm7♭5/C×-3-1-2-1-3
- Second inversionE♭–G–A–CAm7♭5/E♭×-×-1-2-1-3
- Third inversionG–A–C–E♭Am7♭5/G3-0-1-0-1-3
How do you play an A minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar?
A minor 7th flat 5th is played in open position as × 0 1 0 1 3: index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 3. The A and G strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (1) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 3 | G (♭7) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires a wide stretch between the index finger on the 4th string and the ring finger on the 1st string.
Open · ×-0-1-2-1-3
A minor 7th flat 5th is played in open position as × 0 1 2 1 3: index finger on the D string at fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 2, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The A string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (1) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (1) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (♭7) |
5th fret
A minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 5th fret as 5 6 5 5 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 5, pinky finger on the A string at fret 6, middle finger on the D string at fret 5 and ring finger on the G string at fret 5. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 1 | A (1) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 4 | E♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 2 | G (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 3 | C (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
7th fret
A minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 7th fret as × × 7 8 8 8: index finger on the D string at fret 7, middle finger on the G string at fret 8, ring finger on the B string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 8. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 | A (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 2 | E♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 3 | G (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | C (♭3) |
10th fret
A minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 10th fret as × 12 10 12 10 11: barre your index finger across fret 10, ring finger on the A string at fret 12, pinky finger on the G string at fret 12 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 11. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 3 | A (1) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 (barre) | C (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 4 | G (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (♭5) |
Why it sounds like that
A minor 7th flat 5th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between A and E♭ gives the chord its tense quality. Compare it to A minor 7th, which raises the ♭5 to a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with A minor 7th flat 5th?
- Letting the 6th string ring out, which adds an E that is not part of the chord.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the 3rd string, which deadens the open G.
When to use it
A minor 7th flat 5th works as the ii chord in G natural minor, leading to D7 and then G minor. Its dark, unresolved sound suits jazz ballads and minor blues.
Changing to and from A minor 7th flat 5th
- Move to A minor 7th by lifting the ring finger from the 1st string, 3rd fret, and placing it on the 2nd string, 3rd fret.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps the root A in the bass, while the 5th fret position offers a tighter grip for faster changes. Use the 10th fret barre when you need a higher, brighter register.
Other A chords
Common questions
How is A minor 7th flat 5th written?
A minor 7th flat 5th is written as Am7♭5 or A half-diminished. The symbol A alone is not used for this chord.
What is the difference between A minor 7th flat 5th and A diminished?
Its verified note order explains the sound without relying on outside harmony. The half-diminished sound is less tense than the fully diminished chord.
Why is the 6th string muted in the open voicing?
The open 6th string is E, which is not a chord tone of A minor 7th flat 5th. Muting it keeps the bass note A clear.