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G minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar (Gm7♭5)
Also called or written Gm7♭5, G or G Half Diminished Minor 7
G minor 7th flat 5th contains G, B♭, D♭, and F. The open voicing requires a stretch from the 1st to the 3rd fret, testing finger reach.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionG–B♭–D♭–FGm7♭53-1-3-0-2-×
- First inversionB♭–D♭–F–GGm7♭5/B♭×-1-3-0-2-1
- Second inversionD♭–F–G–B♭Gm7♭5/D♭9-8-8-10-8-9
- Third inversionF–G–B♭–D♭Gm7♭5/F1-1-3-0-2-×
How do you play a G minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar?
G minor 7th flat 5th is played in open position as 3 1 3 0 2 ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 1, pinky finger on the D string at fret 3 and middle finger on the B string at fret 2. The G string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 4 | F (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires a wide stretch between the index finger on the 5th string and the pinky on the 4th string.
3rd fret
G minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 4 3 3 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 3, pinky finger on the A string at fret 4, middle finger on the D string at fret 3 and ring finger on the G string at fret 3. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 4 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 2 | F (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
5th fret
G minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 5th fret as × × 5 6 6 6: index finger on the D string at fret 5, middle finger on the G string at fret 6, ring finger on the B string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6. 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) | 5 | 1 | G (1) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 2 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 3 | F (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (♭3) |
8th fret
G minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 8th fret as × 10 8 10 8 9: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the A string at fret 10, pinky finger on the G string at fret 10 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 9. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 3 | G (1) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 4 | F (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 2 | D♭ (♭5) |
10th fret
G minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 10th fret as × 10 11 10 11 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 10, ring finger on the D string at fret 11, middle finger on the G string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 11. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 | G (1) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 3 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 4 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
G minor 7th flat 5th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between G and D♭ creates the half-diminished sound. Compare it to G minor 7th, which has a D instead of D♭.
What goes wrong with G minor 7th flat 5th?
- Letting the 1st string ring out, which adds an E that is not part of the chord.
- Flattening the ring finger onto the 5th string, which deadens the note on the 1st fret.
When to use it
G minor 7th flat 5th functions as the ii chord in F natural minor, leading to C7 and then F minor. Its dark color suits bebop lines and minor ii–V–i progressions.
Changing to and from G minor 7th flat 5th
- Move to G minor 7th by lifting the pinky from the 4th string, 3rd fret, and placing it on the 3rd string, 3rd fret.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing has the root G in the bass, while the 3rd fret position offers a movable shape without open strings. The 8th fret position provides a higher, more cutting sound.
Other G chords
Common questions
How is G minor 7th flat 5th written?
G minor 7th flat 5th is written as Gm7♭5 or G half-diminished. The symbol G alone is not used for this chord.
What is the difference between G minor 7th flat 5th and G diminished?
Its verified note order explains the sound without relying on outside harmony. The half-diminished chord is less dissonant.
Why is the 1st string muted in the open voicing?
The open 1st string is E, which is not a chord tone of G minor 7th flat 5th. Muting it keeps the voicing clean.