Em7b5 looks intimidating on a chord chart and is gentler under the fingers than it sounds. Take Em7, lower one note, the B, by a half step to Bb, and you have it. That Bb makes the chord restless: it rarely stays long, and it almost always leads to A7 and then to D minor. Learn one open shape and one movable shape, and learn the cadence with them.
Em7b5 chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: E half-diminished (minor seventh flat five)
- Symbol: Em7b5
- Notes: E, G, Bb, D
- Where it belongs: viim7b5 in F major, iim7b5 in D minor
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Em7b5, open | 010030 | E Bb D G D E | Two fingers and four open strings. Bb on the fifth string is the note that makes it half diminished. |
| Em7b5, top four strings | xx2333 | E Bb D G | Compact and clear, root on the fourth string. The easiest closed shape to move around. |
| Em7b5, fifth string root | x7878x | E Bb D G | The jazz shape, four strings, root on the fifth string at fret 7. The two outer strings stay muted. |
| Em7b5, sixth string root | 12 x 12 12 11 x | E D G Bb | Root on the low E at fret 12, fifth string muted. Same four notes, darker bass. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
Em7b5 on the neck: every E, G, Bb, D
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Em7b5: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Em7b5.
From Em7 to Em7b5: one finger, one fret
The quickest way to understand this chord is to play it next to the one it comes from.
| Chord | Shape | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Em7 | 020030 | E, B, D, G, D, E |
| Em7b5 | 010030 | E, Bb, D, G, D, E |
Only the fifth string changes, from fret 2 (B) to fret 1 (Bb). Play the two shapes back and forth and listen: the first sounds settled, the second leans forward. That lean is what the chord is for.
010030, the open D string and the second string at fret 3
both play D, the seventh. The open low E and high E play the root. The
fifth string is the one to check: if it buzzes or dies, the chord loses
its identity.
The movable shapes, finger by finger
Top four strings: xx2333
First finger on the fourth string at fret 2 (E). Then the third finger flat across the third, second and first strings at fret 3: Bb, D and G. Do not play the two bass strings.
Fifth string root: x7878x
First finger on the fifth string at fret 7 (E), third finger on the fourth string at fret 8 (Bb), second finger on the third string at fret 7 (D), fourth finger on the second string at fret 8 (G). The first finger's tip touches the low E to mute it, and the underside of the fingers rests on the high E.
Sixth string root: 12 x 12 12 11 x
Root on the low E at fret 12, fifth string muted, then D, G and Bb on the next three strings. It is the same chord with a deeper bass, for when the low E is the note you want under everything else.
Why Em7b5 is there: the minor ii V i
In D minor, the chord built on the second degree is Em7b5. It leads to A7, the V7, which leads home to Dm. When you see Em7b5 in a song, look at the next two chords: most of the time, that is what you will find.
| Where | Em7b5 | A7 | Dm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open position | 010030 | x02020 | xx0231 |
| Around fret 5 to 8 | x7878x | 5x565x | x57765 |
Play each row slowly, four beats per chord, and let the last chord ring. The second row keeps the hand within a few frets, which is why jazz players prefer it. More about how keys build their chords on the chords in every key page, and the destination chord has its own page: D minor.
Em7b5 next to its neighbors
- Em7: E, G, B, D. Same chord with a perfect fifth. Calm, minor.
- Em7b5: E, G, Bb, D. Lowered fifth, a minor seventh on top. Restless.
- Edim7: E, G, Bb, Db. The seventh drops too. Even more tense, and symmetrical: it repeats every three frets.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Em7b5 on guitar?
What notes are in Em7b5?
Is Em7b5 the same as E half diminished?
Where does Em7b5 resolve?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.