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Em7♭5 Chord on Guitar

Em7♭5 is the E half-diminished (ø) chord — 4 notes (E, G, B♭, D) built from the formula 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7. Below are playable shapes across the fretboard, the keys it belongs to and the scales to use when soloing over it.

Notes: E · G · B♭ · DFormula: 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7Hear it and see it on the fretboard ▸

Em7♭5: Chord shapes (open & barre)

  • Em7♭5 – open positionR♭5♭7♭3♭7Ropen position
  • Em7♭5 – fret 2××R♭5♭7♭3fret 2
  • Em7♭5 – fret 55×R♭3♭7R♭5fret 5
  • Em7♭5 – fret 77×R♭5♭7♭3♭7fret 7
  • Em7♭5 – fret 1212R♭5♭7♭3♭7Rfret 12
  • Em7♭5 – fret 1414××R♭5♭7♭3fret 14

Em7♭5: Drop 2 voicings

  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭55♭5R♭3♭7××bass: ♭5
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭512×♭5R♭3♭7×bass: ♭5
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭58××♭5R♭3♭7bass: ♭5
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭78♭7♭3♭5R××bass: ♭7
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭7×♭7♭3♭5R×bass: ♭7
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭711××♭7♭3♭5Rbass: ♭7
  • Em7♭5 – bass: R12R♭5♭7♭3××bass: R
  • Em7♭5 – bass: R7×R♭5♭7♭3×bass: R
  • Em7♭5 – bass: R××R♭5♭7♭3bass: R
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭3♭3♭7R♭5××bass: ♭3
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭39×♭3♭7R♭5×bass: ♭3
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭35××♭3♭7R♭5bass: ♭3

Em7♭5: Drop 3 voicings

  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭3♭3×R♭5♭7×bass: ♭3
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭39×♭3×R♭5♭7bass: ♭3
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭55♭5×♭3♭7R×bass: ♭5
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭512×♭5×♭3♭7Rbass: ♭5
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭78♭7×♭5R♭3×bass: ♭7
  • Em7♭5 – bass: ♭7×♭7×♭5R♭3bass: ♭7
  • Em7♭5 – bass: R11R×♭7♭3♭5×bass: R
  • Em7♭5 – bass: R6×R×♭7♭3♭5bass: R

Em7♭5: Shell voicings (jazz)

  • Em7♭5 – R-3-710R♭3♭7×××R-3-7
  • Em7♭5 – R-3-75×R♭3♭7××R-3-7
  • Em7♭5 – R-7-312R×♭7♭3××R-7-3
  • Em7♭5 – R-7-37×R×♭7♭3×R-7-3

Keys that contain Em7♭5

Scales to play over Em7♭5

Ordered from the most common choice. All of them contain E, G, B♭, D.

Other E chords

Triads

Sevenths

Sixths

Added

Extended

Half-diminished (ø) chords in other keys

FAQ

What notes are in the Em7♭5 chord?
Em7♭5 (E half-diminished (ø)) contains E, G, B♭, D — formula 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7.
How do you play Em7♭5 on guitar?
A common shape is 010030 (low E to high E, x = muted string, open position). This page shows more shapes, drop 2, drop 3 and shell voicings in the interactive library.
What scale goes with Em7♭5?
Good choices to solo over Em7♭5: E Locrian, E Locrian ♮2, E Blues.
What key is Em7♭5 in?
Em7♭5 is diatonic in F major (viiø7), D minor (iiø7).