The A m7♭5 Chord Explained
A minor seventh flat five is a Half-Diminished chord built from the notes A, C, E♭, and G. Its root is A, and its interval number formula is 1-♭3-♭5-♭7. Those intervals are called the root, minor third, diminished fifth, and minor seventh. You may also see this chord written as Am7♭5, A half-diminished seventh, or Aø7. If you look at the widget above, you can use the piano and guitar diagrams to see how these four notes stack together, and the chord tones can help you hear its tense, unsettled color. If you want to learn more about how these notes are measured from the root, see chord intervals.
A m7♭5 Alternate Names
- Am7♭5
- Aø7
- A half-diminished seventh
A m7♭5 Chord Notes
A m7♭5 Chord Formula
A m7♭5 Chord Notation
How To Use A m7♭5 In Music
Because of its lowered fifth, this chord has a dark, fragile, and suspenseful sound that often feels like it wants to move somewhere else. It is common in jazz, classical, film music, and many minor-key progressions where tension is useful. For example, in A minor, Bø7 can appear as iiø7 in a progression like i-iiø7-V-i, while Am7♭5 may appear as viiø7 in B♭ major or as a passing color chord in a sequence such as vi-viiø7-I. The mood of Am7♭5 can feel more dramatic next to stable chords, or smoother when it resolves gently into a dominant or minor chord. To compare its sound with a fully diminished chord, it helps to notice that the minor seventh softens it slightly.
A m7♭5 Chord Inversions
Inversions happen when a note other than the root is the lowest note. For Am7♭5, root position is A-C-E♭-G, first inversion is C-E♭-G-A, second inversion is E♭-G-A-C, and third inversion is G-A-C-E♭. These inversions keep the same chord quality, but they can change the way the chord feels and connects to nearby chords. A lower C can make the sound feel a bit less grounded on A, while a lower G can add extra pull toward the next chord. Musicians use inversions to create smoother bass lines, easier movement between chords, and a different sense of balance without changing the basic identity of the chord.
