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F♯ minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar (F♯m7♭5)
Also called or written F♯m7♭5, F♯ or F♯ Half Diminished Minor 7
F♯ minor 7th flat 5th contains F♯, A, C, and E. The open voicing uses all six strings, creating a full but delicate resonance.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionF♯–A–C–EF♯m7♭52-0-2-2-1-0
- First inversionA–C–E–F♯F♯m7♭5/A×-0-2-2-1-2
- Second inversionC–E–F♯–AF♯m7♭5/C8-7-7-9-7-8
- Third inversionE–F♯–A–CF♯m7♭5/E0-0-2-2-1-2
How do you play an F♯ minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar?
F♯ minor 7th flat 5th is played in open position as 2 0 2 2 1 0: middle finger on the low E string at fret 2, ring finger on the D string at fret 2, pinky finger on the G string at fret 2 and index finger on the B string at fret 1. The A and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 3 | E (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 4 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (♭7) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires precise finger placement to avoid muting the open A and high E strings.
2nd fret
F♯ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 3 2 2 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 2, pinky finger on the A string at fret 3, middle finger on the D string at fret 2 and ring finger on the G string at fret 2. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 2 | E (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
4th fret
F♯ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 4th fret as × × 4 5 5 5: index finger on the D string at fret 4, middle finger on the G string at fret 5, ring finger on the B string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 5. 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) | 4 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 2 | C (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 3 | E (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 4 | A (♭3) |
7th fret
F♯ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 7th fret as × 9 7 9 7 8: barre your index finger across fret 7, ring finger on the A string at fret 9, pinky finger on the G string at fret 9 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 3 | F♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 4 | E (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 2 | C (♭5) |
9th fret
F♯ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 9th fret as × 9 10 9 10 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 9, ring finger on the D string at fret 10, middle finger on the G string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 10. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 3 | C (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 2 | E (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 4 | A (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
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 gives the chord its tense quality. Compare it to F♯ minor 7th, which has a C♯ instead of C.
What goes wrong with F♯ minor 7th flat 5th?
- Flattening the middle finger onto the 5th string, which deadens the open A.
- Letting the index finger touch the 1st string, which deadens the open E.
When to use it
F♯ minor 7th flat 5th acts as the ii chord in E natural minor, leading to B7 and then E minor. Its hollow sound fits folk-influenced jazz and minor-key ballads.
Changing to and from F♯ minor 7th flat 5th
- Move to F♯ minor 7th by lifting the pinky from the 3rd string, 2nd fret, and placing it on the 2nd string, 2nd fret.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing has the root F♯ in the bass, while the 2nd fret position offers a movable shape without open strings. The 7th fret position provides a higher register for comping.
Other F♯ chords
Common questions
How is F♯ minor 7th flat 5th written?
F♯ minor 7th flat 5th is written as F♯m7♭5 or F♯ half-diminished. The ASCII root is F#. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between F♯ minor 7th flat 5th and F♯ diminished?
Its verified note order explains the sound without relying on outside harmony. The half-diminished chord is less tense.
Why are all strings played in the open voicing?
All open strings are chord tones of F♯ minor 7th flat 5th, so no muting is needed.