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B♭ minor 7th flat 5th chord on ukulele (B♭m7♭5)
Also called or written B♭m7♭5, B♭ or B♭ Half Diminished Minor 7
B♭ minor 7th flat 5th is built from B♭, D♭, F♭, and A♭. The 3rd fret shape uses a four-finger spread that feels tight for smaller hands.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
How do you play a B♭ minor 7th flat 5th chord on ukulele?
B♭ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 4 4 4: index finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the C string at fret 4, ring finger on the E string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 4 | 2 | F♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 3 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 4 | 4 | D♭ (♭3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must fret the A string at fret 4 while the ring finger holds the E string at the same fret, requiring a wide stretch.
B♭m7♭5/A♭ inversion
B♭ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 6 7: index finger on the G string at fret 6, pinky finger on the C string at fret 8, middle finger on the E string at fret 6 and ring finger on the A string at fret 7.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6 | 1 | D♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 4 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 2 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 7 | 3 | F♭ (♭5) |
9th fret
B♭ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 9th fret as 9 10 9 11: index finger on the G string at fret 9, ring finger on the C string at fret 10, middle finger on the E string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 9 | 1 | F♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 10 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 9 | 2 | D♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 4 | A♭ (♭7) |
B♭m7♭5/D♭ inversion
B♭ minor 7th flat 5th is played in open position as 1 1 0 1: index finger on the G string at fret 1, middle finger on the C string at fret 1 and ring finger on the A string at fret 1. The E string rings open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 1 | 2 | D♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (E) | open | — | F♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 1 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ minor 7th flat 5th uses the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between B♭ and F♭ creates the half-diminished sound. Compare it to B♭ minor 7th, which has a perfect 5th instead.
What goes wrong with B♭ minor 7th flat 5th?
- Letting the pinky collapse and mute the A string.
- Allowing the middle finger to touch the E string, causing a buzz.
- Strumming too hard and making the F♭ note sound sharp.
When to use it
B♭ minor 7th flat 5th functions as the ii chord in A♭ natural minor, often moving to E♭ minor or A♭ minor. Its dark quality suits jazz ballads and minor blues.
Changing to and from B♭ minor 7th flat 5th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 2nd fret gives A minor 7th flat 5th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 4th fret gives B minor 7th flat 5th.
Which voicing to use
The 3rd fret voicing has B♭ in the bass, giving a root-position sound. For a softer attack, try the B♭m7♭5/G♯ inversion with A♭ in the bass.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ minor 7th flat 5th written?
B♭ minor 7th flat 5th is written as B♭m7♭5 or B♭. The ASCII root is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between B♭ minor 7th flat 5th and B♭ diminished?
B♭ diminished is a triad with notes B♭, D♭, F♭. B♭ minor 7th flat 5th adds the minor 7th A♭.
Can B♭ minor 7th flat 5th be used in place of B♭ minor?
B♭ minor 7th flat 5th has a flattened fifth, so it sounds more tense than B♭ minor. Use it when you want a darker color.