G#m7b5 Chord
4th Fret · E-String RootThe E-string partner to the A-string grip — the pair covers the whole neck between them. Middle finger on the low E at fret 4 for G#, ring on the D string at fret 4 for F#, pinky on the G string at fret 4 for B, and index on the B string one fret back at 3 for D. The underside of the middle finger mutes the A string and the fingers' pads keep the high e quiet. It is the classic comping shape for the ii chord of a minor ii–V–i.
G#m7b5 Chord
6th Fret · D-String RootFour strings, rooted on the D string — the voicing for when the bass player has the low end. Index on the D string at fret 6 for G#, then middle, ring and pinky side by side on the G, B and high e strings at fret 7 for D, F# and B. It is the open Dm7b5 shape moved up the neck, with the index standing in for the nut. Mute the low E and A.
G#m7b5 Chord
11th Fret · A-String RootThe standard jazz grip for a half-diminished chord, and the one to learn first. Index on the A string at fret 11 for G#, ring on the D string at fret 12 for D, middle on the G string at fret 11 for F# and pinky on the B string at fret 12 for B — four notes, one per string, no barre. It is the m7 grip on the A string with the 5th lowered a fret. Let the index tip touch the low E to mute it, and keep the high e out of the strum.
Start from G#m7
Play G#m7 and lower the 5th by one fret, to D. Nothing else moves. That single half step is the whole difference, and it is why the chord is written m7♭5.
Half-diminished, not diminished
The bottom three notes — G#, B, D — are G#dim. Add the minor 7th, F#, and you have G#m7b5. Add a 7th one fret lower instead and you have G#dim7, a different chord. Charts that say "dim" sometimes mean either, so check the notes.
Hear it in a minor ii–V–i
Play G#m7b5 – C#7 – F#m. The half-diminished chord is the ii of F# minor, and that three-chord move is the backbone of minor-key jazz standards and bossa nova. Its B is also the 7th of C#7, which is why the two chords sit so naturally side by side.
Same notes as two other chords
G#m7b5 contains exactly the same four notes as Bm6 — the bass decides the name — and it is also the top four notes of E9, played without the root. Every shape on this page keeps G# lowest, so let the root ring.
Slide the grip
The A-string, E-string and D-string shapes use no open strings once they leave the nut, so they slide. Move any one up a fret and you have Am7b5; down a fret and you have Gm7b5.
About the G#m7b5 or A♭m7b5 Chord on Guitar
The G#m7b5 or A♭m7b5 chord — also written G#m7♭5, G#ø7 or G# half-diminished — is built from four notes: G# (the root), B (the minor 3rd), D (the diminished 5th) and F# (the minor 7th). The formula is 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7: a G#m7 chord with the 5th lowered a half step. The bottom three notes form a diminished triad, which is where the name comes from — the triad is diminished but the 7th is not, so the chord is only half-diminished. That lowered 5th makes it restless rather than sad; the chord wants to move, and it almost always moves to a dominant 7th. Its home is the minor ii–V–i, G#m7b5 – C#7 – F#m, the progression at the heart of minor-key jazz, bossa nova and a good deal of pop and neo-soul. It is also the vii chord of A major. Two things it is not: G#dim7, which has a 7th one fret lower, and G#m7, which keeps the perfect 5th. And one thing it is, note for note: Bm6, the same four notes with a different bass. This page covers three voicings: the E-string root grip at fret 4, a four-string form rooted on the D string at fret 6, and the A-string root grip at fret 11. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 G#m7b5 chord shapes at intermediate level
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Built from 4 notes: G#, B, D and F# (formula 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7)
- 05A-string root, E-string root, and D-string root voicings
- 06Difficulty rating on every shape
- 07Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the G# or A♭ Minor 7th Flat 5 chord and their role in the major scale.
Every half-diminished (m7♭5) chord follows this same formula — root, minor third, diminished fifth, minor seventh. A diminished triad with a minor 7th on top, not the diminished 7th of a dim7 chord.
Frequently Asked Questions
Play 4-x-4-4-3-x — middle on the low E at fret 4 for the root, ring on the D string at fret 4 (F#, the ♭7), pinky on the G string at fret 4 (B, the ♭3), and index on the B string at fret 3 (D, the ♭5). Mute the A and high e strings.
G#, B, D and F# — root, minor 3rd, diminished 5th and minor 7th.
Because only half of it is diminished. G#–B–D is a diminished triad, but the 7th, F#, is a minor 7th. A fully diminished 7th chord, G#dim7, lowers that 7th one more fret.
As the ii chord in a minor key — G#m7b5 – C#7 – F#m — or anywhere a minor 7th needs more pull toward the next chord. It almost always resolves to a dominant 7th a 4th above, here C#7.