Minor ii–V–i
in D minor
Piano chord
E Half-Diminished 7th Piano Chord (Em7♭5)
The E Half-Diminished 7th chord on piano is made of the notes E, G, B♭ and D. Bittersweet tension. Used as the ii chord in minor keys.
Tap any key to hear it.
What notes are in E Half-Diminished 7th?
4 notes, built 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7 up from E.
- Notes
- E – G – B♭ – D
- Formula
- 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7
- Semitones from the root
- 0 – 3 – 6 – 10
- Symbol
- Em7♭5
- Chord type
- Half-Diminished 7th, 4 notes
How to play E Half-Diminished 7th on piano
- Right hand: E (1), G (2), B♭ (3), D (5). Fingers 1 – 2 – 3 – 5, thumb on E.
- Left hand: E (5), G (3), B♭ (2), D (1). Fingers 5 – 3 – 2 – 1, little finger on E.
Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) on both hands.
E Half-Diminished 7th inversions
Each inversion puts a different note of the chord in the bass. Written as a slash chord: Em7♭5/G, Em7♭5/B♭, Em7♭5/D.
Can you find E Half-Diminished 7th?
Tap the notes on the keyboard, then check. Six chords, starting with this one.
1 / 6 Tap the notes of E Half-Diminished 7th (Em7♭5)
Score 0
Any octave, any order. Each key you tap plays.
What key is E Half-Diminished 7th in?
The keys whose scale contains every note of Em7♭5, with the chord’s Roman numeral in each.
Major keys
- F majorviiø7
Minor keys
- D minoriiø7
E Half-Diminished 7th chord FAQ
What notes are in the E Half-Diminished 7th chord?
E Half-Diminished 7th (Em7♭5) has 4 notes: E, G, B♭ and D. Its formula is 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7, counted up from E.
How do you play E Half-Diminished 7th on the piano?
Put your right thumb on E and play E, G, B♭ and D with fingers 1 – 2 – 3 – 5. With the left hand, use fingers 5 – 3 – 2 – 1, little finger on E.
What are the inversions of E Half-Diminished 7th?
1st inversion: G, B♭, D, E (Em7♭5/G). 2nd inversion: B♭, D, E, G (Em7♭5/B♭). 3rd inversion: D, E, G, B♭ (Em7♭5/D).
What key is E Half-Diminished 7th in?
Em7♭5 belongs to F major (viiø7) and D minor (iiø7).