What notes are in the F#m7b5 chord?

F#m7b5 contains F#, A, C, E. Its formula is 1-b3-b5-b7.

What is the easiest way to play F#m7b5?

Try x x 4 2 1 0 (Easy 4-string version). It uses 3 fretted notes and no barre.

What key is F#m7b5 in?

F#m7b5 belongs to G major (as the viiø7 chord).

Is F#m7b5 the same as Gbm7b5?

Yes. F# and Gb are the same pitch on the guitar, so F#m7b5 and Gbm7b5 use the same shapes. The name depends on the key: flat keys use flats and sharp keys use sharps.

Why does my F#m7b5 chord buzz?

Press each string just behind the fret wire, keep your fingertips upright so they don't touch the next string, and keep your thumb behind the neck. On a barre, roll the index finger slightly onto its bony edge.

Can I use a capo for F#m7b5?

Yes. A capo lets you play F#m7b5 with an easier open shape: use the chord transposer to find which shape to play for a given capo fret.

Why is F#m7b5 called half-diminished?

A fully diminished 7th chord has a diminished 7th; F#m7b5 has a minor 7th instead, so it is "half" diminished.

F#m7b5 Chord on Guitar: 3 Easy Ways to Play It (Charts)

F#m7b5 Chord on Guitar: 3 Easy Ways to Play F Sharp Minor Seventh Flat Five (Charts)

F#m7b5 chord charts with finger numbers, an easier version, the notes and intervals, and the keys and progressions that use it. Also searched as f#m7b5 chord, f#m7b5 guitar chord and how to play F#m7b5.

By David Sandy, guitar player and founder of Sandy Music Lab. Every chord shape on this page is checked note by note against the chord's formula.

Open position
2 0 2 2 1 0

Barre (2nd fret, E-string root)
2 3 2 2 5 2

Easy 4-string version
x x 4 2 1 0

Numbers are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky, T thumb). × = don't play that string, ○ = play it open. A long bar is a barre: one finger flat across those strings. Strings run low E (left) to high e (right).

Chord chart by Sandy Music Lab

Quick answer: To play F#m7b5 (F sharp minor seventh flat five) on guitar, play 2 0 2 2 1 0 from the low E string to the high e string (the open position shape). The chord contains F#, A, C, E. If that is hard, use the easier shape x x 4 2 1 0, which needs 3 fretted notes.

F#m7b5 chord facts

Chord	F#m7b5 (F sharp minor seventh flat five)
Other names	F#ø7, F#min7b5, F#-7b5, Gbm7b5 (enharmonic spelling, same notes and shapes)
Notes	F#, A, C, E
Intervals	F# (root), A (minor 3rd), C (diminished 5th), E (minor 7th)
Formula	1-b3-b5-b7
Difficulty	Beginner
Shapes on this page	3

How do you play F#m7b5 on guitar?

The main shape is 2 0 2 2 1 0 (Open position). Finger by finger:

Put your index finger (1) on the B string at fret 1 (C, the diminished 5th).
Put your middle finger (2) on the low E string at fret 2 (F#, the root).