1234 21 GCEA
Beginner

Em7♭5 Ukulele Chord

Em7♭5 blends open G and E strings with E, G, A# and D for a half-diminished color that is dark yet airy. As the ii in a minor ii-V-i it suits jazz turnarounds, and its ringing openness fits moody folk and indie too.

Also known as

  • E ø
  • Eø7
  • E ø7
  • Em7b5
  • E m7♭5
  • E m7b5
  • Ehalf-dim
  • E half-dim
  • Ehalf-dim7
  • E half-dim7
  • E half-diminished 7th
  • E half-diminished seventh

How to Play This Chord

Position your fingers on the fretboard as shown in the diagram. The vertical lines represent the four strings, from the top G string (left) to the A string (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

Keep the G and E strings open, press the C string at fret 2 with your middle finger and the A string at fret 1 with your index. Curl both fingers high on their tips so they don't deaden the two open strings — that ringing contrast is what gives this shape its character.

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

AECG 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 1
AECG 1 0 2 0 1 0 2 0
AECG 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 1
AECG 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0

See how Em7♭5 works with other chords — Progression Generator