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E♭ minor 7th flat 5th chord on ukulele (E♭m7♭5)
Also called or written E♭m7♭5, E♭ or E♭ Half Diminished Minor 7
E♭ minor 7th flat 5th is built from E♭, G♭, B♭♭, and D♭. The 8th fret shape is a stretch that tests pinky independence.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
How do you play an E♭ minor 7th flat 5th chord on ukulele?
E♭ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 8th fret as 8 9 9 9: index finger on the G string at fret 8, middle finger on the C string at fret 9, ring finger on the E string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 9 | 2 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 9 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 9 | 4 | G♭ (♭3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must fret the A string at fret 9 cleanly while the ring finger holds the E string at the same fret.
2nd fret
E♭ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 3 2 4: index finger on the G string at fret 2, ring finger on the C string at fret 3, middle finger on the E string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 2 | 1 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 2 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (A) | 4 | 4 | D♭ (♭7) |
E♭m7♭5/G♭ inversion
E♭ minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 5th fret as 6 6 5 6: middle finger on the G string at fret 6, ring finger on the C string at fret 6, index finger on the E string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6 | 2 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 6 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (E) | 5 | 1 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ minor 7th flat 5th uses the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between E♭ and B♭♭ gives the chord its unstable quality. Compare it to E♭ minor 7th, which raises the ♭5 to a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with E♭ minor 7th flat 5th?
- Letting the pinky flatten and deaden the A string.
- Pressing the ring finger too far over and muting the C string.
- Strumming before all four fingers are seated, causing a buzz on the E string.
When to use it
E♭ minor 7th flat 5th works as the ii chord in C♯ natural minor, leading to G♯ minor or C♯ minor. Use it in jazz, blues, and ballads where a darker minor sound is needed.
Changing to and from E♭ minor 7th flat 5th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 7th fret gives D minor 7th flat 5th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 9th fret gives E minor 7th flat 5th.
Which voicing to use
The 8th fret voicing has E♭ in the bass, giving a root-position sound. For a lighter feel, use the E♭m7♭5/A inversion with B♭♭ in the bass.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ minor 7th flat 5th written?
E♭ minor 7th flat 5th is written as E♭m7♭5 or E♭. The ASCII root is Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ minor 7th flat 5th and E♭ diminished?
E♭ diminished is a triad with notes E♭, G♭, B♭♭. E♭ minor 7th flat 5th adds the minor 7th D♭.
Can E♭ minor 7th flat 5th be used in place of E♭ minor?
E♭ minor 7th flat 5th has a flattened fifth, so it sounds more tense than E♭ minor. Use it when you want a darker color.