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F minor 7th flat 5th chord on ukulele (Fm7♭5)
Also called or written Fm7♭5, F or F Half Diminished Minor 7
F minor 7th flat 5th is built from F, A♭, C♭, and E♭. The 10th fret shape is a stretch that tests pinky independence.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionF–A♭–C♭–E♭Fm7♭54-5-4-6
- First inversionA♭–C♭–E♭–FFm7♭5/A♭8-8-7-8
- Second inversionC♭–E♭–F–A♭Fm7♭5/C♭10-11-11-11
- Third inversionE♭–F–A♭–C♭Fm7♭5/E♭1-3-1-2
How do you play an F minor 7th flat 5th chord on ukulele?
F minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 11 11: index finger on the G string at fret 10, middle finger on the C string at fret 11, ring finger on the E string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10 | 1 | F (1) |
| 3 (C) | 11 | 2 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 11 | 3 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 4 | A♭ (♭3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must fret the A string at fret 11 cleanly while the ring finger holds the E string at the same fret.
Fm7♭5/E♭ inversion
F minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 1 2: index finger on the G string at fret 1, pinky finger on the C string at fret 3, middle finger on the E string at fret 1 and ring finger on the A string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 4 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 2 | F (1) |
| 1 (A) | 2 | 3 | C♭ (♭5) |
4th fret
F minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 4th fret as 4 5 4 6: index finger on the G string at fret 4, ring finger on the C string at fret 5, middle finger on the E string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 4 | 1 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 3 | F (1) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 4 | E♭ (♭7) |
Fm7♭5/A♭ inversion
F minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 7th fret as 8 8 7 8: middle finger on the G string at fret 8, ring finger on the C string at fret 8, index finger on the E string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8 | 2 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 3 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (E) | 7 | 1 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 4 | F (1) |
Why it sounds like that
F minor 7th flat 5th uses the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between F and C♭ gives the chord its unstable quality. Compare it to F minor 7th, which raises the ♭5 to a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with F 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
F minor 7th flat 5th works as the ii chord in E♭ natural minor, leading to B♭ minor or E♭ minor. Use it in jazz, blues, and ballads where a darker minor sound is needed.
Changing to and from F minor 7th flat 5th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 9th fret gives E minor 7th flat 5th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 11th fret gives F♯ minor 7th flat 5th.
Which voicing to use
The 10th fret voicing has F in the bass, giving a root-position sound. For a lighter feel, use the Fm7♭5/A♭ inversion with A♭ in the bass.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F minor 7th flat 5th written?
F minor 7th flat 5th is written as Fm7♭5 or F. It is also called Half Diminished Minor 7.
What is the difference between F minor 7th flat 5th and F diminished?
F diminished is a triad with notes F, A♭, C♭. F minor 7th flat 5th adds the minor 7th E♭.
Can F minor 7th flat 5th be used in place of F minor?
F minor 7th flat 5th has a flattened fifth, so it sounds more tense than F minor. Use it when you want a darker color.