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Em7♭5

Character: wistful

  1. ERtriad
  2. G♭3triad
  3. B♭♭5triad
  4. D♭7add
Open Em7♭5 in the chord libraryDownload the Em7♭5 chart (PDF)
Voicings

11 ways to play Em7♭5

Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.

  • Triad note
  • Substitute
  • Added
  • Anchored root
  • Bass
  • Doubling
CC shape 3rd inversion Em7♭5/D
3 4 5 6 7 R ♭5 ♭3 ♭7

Frets x 5 5 3 5 xNotes D G B♭ EIntervals ♭7 ♭3 ♭5 1Base triadE diminished, 1st inversion

The ♭7th gets a string of its own.

CC shape Root position Em7♭5
3 4 5 6 7 ♭7 ♭5 ♭3 R R R

Frets 0 7 5 3 3 0Notes E G B♭ DIntervals 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7Base triadE diminished, root position

The ♭7th gets a string of its own.

CC shape 2nd inversion Em7♭5/B♭
4 5 6 7 ♭7 ♭3 R ♭5 R R

Frets 6 7 5 7 5 0Notes B♭ E G DIntervals ♭5 1 ♭3 ♭7Base triadE diminished, 2nd inversion

The ♭7th gets a string of its own.

AA shape 2nd inversion Em7♭5/B♭
7 8 9 10 ♭7 ♭3 R ♭5 ♭3 R

Frets 0 10 8 9 8 10Notes B♭ E G DIntervals ♭5 1 ♭3 ♭7Base triadE diminished, 2nd inversion

The ♭7th gets a string of its own.

AA shape 2nd inversion AnchoredEm7♭5
7 8 9 10 R ♭3 ♭7 ♭5 R R R

Frets 0 7 8 7 8 0Notes E B♭ D GIntervals 1 ♭5 ♭7 ♭3Base triadE diminished, 2nd inversion

The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.

GG shape 3rd inversion Em7♭5/D
8 9 10 11 12 R ♭5 ♭3 ♭7

Frets 10 10 8 9 x xNotes D G B♭ EIntervals ♭7 ♭3 ♭5 1Base triadE diminished, 1st inversion

The ♭7th gets a string of its own.

EE shape 2nd inversion Em7♭5/B♭
1 2 3 4 ♭7 ♭3 R ♭5 R R

Frets 0 1 2 0 3 0Notes B♭ E G DIntervals ♭5 1 ♭3 ♭7Base triadE diminished, 2nd inversion

The ♭7th gets a string of its own.

EE shape 1st inversion Em7♭5/G
1 2 3 4 ♭7 R ♭5 ♭3 R ♭3

Frets 3 1 2 0 3 0Notes G B♭ E DIntervals ♭3 ♭5 1 ♭7Base triadE diminished, 1st inversion

The ♭7th gets a string of its own.

EE shape 3rd inversion Em7♭5/D
11 12 13 14 R ♭5 ♭3 ♭7

Frets x x 12 12 11 12Notes D G B♭ EIntervals ♭7 ♭3 ♭5 1Base triadE diminished, 1st inversion

The ♭7th gets a string of its own.

EE shape 2nd inversion AnchoredEm7♭5
1 2 3 4 R ♭3 ♭7 ♭5 R

Frets 0 1 0 0 x xNotes E B♭ D GIntervals 1 ♭5 ♭7 ♭3Base triadE diminished, 2nd inversion

The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.

DD shape 2nd inversion AnchoredEm7♭5
1 2 3 4 5 R ♭3 ♭7 ♭5 R

Frets x x 2 3 3 3Notes E B♭ D GIntervals 1 ♭5 ♭7 ♭3Base triadE diminished, 2nd inversion

The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.

The rules

The construction rules Em7♭5 follows

  1. Start from a triad

    Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.

  2. A third on top makes a 7th chord

    A major 7th over a major triad is maj7, a ♭7 is a dominant 7. Over minor you get m7 or m(maj7); over diminished, m7♭5 or the °7, whose 7th is lowered twice.

  3. On guitar, something has to give

    Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.

  4. The root can move down

    When an extension needs the root’s string, the root can drop to the string below the triad: an anchored voicing keeps the bass and frees a string on top.

All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.

Minor 7th ♭5 (half-diminished) in every key

More chords on E

Em7♭5 chord questions

What notes are in Em7♭5?

Em7♭5 is spelled E G B♭ D: E is the root, G is the ♭3rd, B♭ is the ♭5th, D is the ♭7th.

What is the formula of Em7♭5?

1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7. It is a E diminished triad with the ♭7th stacked on top.

How many ways can you play Em7♭5 on guitar?

This page shows 11 voicings of Em7♭5, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.