Inversions
The same notes with a different one at the bottom, listed from the lowest note up.
| Position | Notes, low to high | Symbol | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | C E♭ G♭ B♭ | Cm7♭5 | 1-2-3-5 | 5-3-2-1 |
| 1st inversion | E♭ G♭ B♭ C | Cm7♭5/E♭ | 1-2-3-5 | 5-3-2-1 |
| 2nd inversion | G♭ B♭ C E♭ | Cm7♭5/G♭ | 1-2-3-5 | 5-3-2-1 |
| 3rd inversion | B♭ C E♭ G♭ | Cm7♭5/B♭ | 1-2-3-5 | 5-3-2-1 |
About this chord
Its formula is 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7: the minor third (m3), diminished fifth (d5) and minor seventh (m7) above the root, C.
Counted in semitones from C, its notes are 0, 3, 6, 10.
A half-diminished 7th chord adds a minor seventh to a diminished triad. It is the ii chord of minor keys, where it leads to the V7.
In major keys it is viiø7 in D♭ major.
In natural minor keys it is iiø7 in B♭ minor.
In root position, play it with fingers 1-2-3-5 in the right hand, or 5-3-2-1 in the left hand (1 is the thumb, 5 the little finger).
Find the root first, place the other fingers over the coloured keys, then press them all together so every note sounds at the same time.
Questions and answers
What notes are in the C half-diminished 7th chord?
The Cm7♭5 chord has four notes: C, E♭, G♭ and B♭. Counted from the root, its formula is 1-♭3-♭5-♭7.
What is the fingering for the Cm7♭5 chord?
In root position, use fingers 1-2-3-5 of the right hand or 5-3-2-1 of the left hand. For the inversions: 1st inversion 1-2-3-5 (right hand) or 5-3-2-1 (left hand), 2nd inversion 1-2-3-5 (right hand) or 5-3-2-1 (left hand) and 3rd inversion 1-2-3-5 (right hand) or 5-3-2-1 (left hand).
Which keys contain the Cm7♭5 chord?
In major keys it is viiø7 in D♭ major. In natural minor keys it is iiø7 in B♭ minor.
The chord list follows pianochord.io by Enkai Ji, used under the MIT licence. Licence