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B minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar (Bm7♭5)
Also called or written Bm7♭5, B or B Half Diminished Minor 7
B minor 7th flat 5th contains B, D, F, and A. The open voicing uses two open strings, creating a resonant but delicate sound.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionB–D–F–ABm7♭5×-2-0-2-0-1
- First inversionD–F–A–BBm7♭5/D×-×-0-2-0-1
- Second inversionF–A–B–DBm7♭5/F1-0-0-2-0-1
- Third inversionA–B–D–FBm7♭5/A×-0-0-2-0-1
How do you play a B minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar?
B minor 7th flat 5th is played in open position as × 2 0 2 0 1: middle finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 2 and index finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D and B strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (1) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 | F (♭5) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires careful finger arching to avoid muting the open D and B strings.
Open · ×-2-0-2-3-1
B minor 7th flat 5th is played in open position as × 2 0 2 3 1: middle finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 2, pinky finger on the B string at fret 3 and index finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 | F (♭5) |
2nd fret
B minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 2nd fret as × 2 3 2 3 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the D string at fret 3, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 3 | F (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
7th fret
B minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 7th fret as 7 8 7 7 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 7, pinky finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the D string at fret 7 and ring finger on the G string at fret 7. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 1 | B (1) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 4 | F (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 2 | A (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 3 | D (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
9th fret
B minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 9th fret as × × 9 10 10 10: index finger on the D string at fret 9, middle finger on the G string at fret 10, ring finger on the B string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 10. 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) | 9 | 1 | B (1) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 4 | D (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
B minor 7th flat 5th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between B and F gives the chord its unstable character. Compare it to B minor 7th, which has an F♯ instead of F.
What goes wrong with B minor 7th flat 5th?
- Letting the 6th string ring out, which adds an E that is not part of the chord.
- Flattening the ring finger onto the 2nd string, which deadens the open B.
When to use it
B minor 7th flat 5th acts as the ii chord in A natural minor, leading to E7 and then A minor. Its hollow sound fits folk-influenced jazz and minor-key ballads.
Changing to and from B minor 7th flat 5th
- Move to B minor 7th by lifting the index finger from the 1st string, 1st fret, and placing it on the 2nd string, 2nd fret.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps the root B in the bass, while the 2nd fret position offers a movable shape without open strings. The 7th fret position provides a higher register for soloing.
Other B chords
Common questions
How is B minor 7th flat 5th written?
B minor 7th flat 5th is written as Bm7♭5 or B half-diminished. The symbol B alone is not used for this chord.
What is the difference between B minor 7th flat 5th and B diminished?
Its verified note order explains the sound without relying on outside harmony. The half-diminished chord is less tense.
Why is the 6th string muted in the open voicing?
The open 6th string is E, which is not a chord tone of B minor 7th flat 5th. Muting it keeps the bass note B clear.