Position 1 / 4

This chord has 4 voicings across the fretboard. Use the arrows to see each shape and fingering — and tap any dot on the diagram to hear that note.

Beginner

Am7♭5 Guitar Chord

A half-diminished seventh chord with a dark, restless quality. Am7♭5 appears naturally in minor keys and is essential for jazz ii-V-i progressions.

Also known as

  • A ø
  • Aø7
  • A ø7
  • Am7b5
  • A m7♭5
  • A m7b5
  • Ahalf-dim
  • A half-dim
  • Ahalf-dim7
  • A half-dim7
  • A half-diminished 7th
  • A half-diminished seventh

How to Play This Chord

Position your fingers on the fretboard as shown in the diagram. The vertical lines represent the strings, from low E (left) to high E (right), and the horizontal lines are the frets. Numbers inside the dots indicate which finger to use: 1 (index), 2 (middle), 3 (ring), 4 (pinky). An X means don't play that string; an O means play it open. A bar spanning multiple strings means one finger presses across all of them at once — this is known as a barre chord.

Tips & Tricks

A half-diminished is the ii chord in G minor. The open voicing is a bit unusual — the open A provides the root, and the remaining notes need careful placement. Some players find the barre shape at the 5th fret on the E string more practical.

There are many ways to play this chord. Try these:

eBGDAE 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
eBGDAE 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
eBGDAE 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0
eBGDAE 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1

See how Am7♭5 works with other chords — Progression Generator