Em7b5: guitar chord voicings, inversions, scales and arpeggios

Em7b5 (m7b5) is an interactive GuitarArcanum page with chord formula, intervals, voicings, inversions, triads, pentatonic patterns, scales and arpeggios on the fretboard.

Chord formula

Interval formula: 1 b3 b5 b7. A half-diminished 7th — minor 3rd, flat 5th, minor 7th. A dark, unstable chord; the main ii in minor keys.

Chord tones

The minor 3rd and flat 5th give a dark, unstable base, and the minor 7th softens it into a jazz sound — hence the other name, 'half-diminished.'

Sound character

Dark and tense, but not as sharp as a diminished 7th. Melancholy.

Harmonic function

Most often the ii in minor (ii – V – i), less often a leading-tone chord.

Typical progressions

F#m7b5 – B7 – Em
Em7b5 – A7 – Dm
ii° – V – i

Guitar voicing advice

Root on the 5th string. It shares its notes with an m6 from the minor 3rd — the bass decides the role.

Fretboard voicings for Em7b5

A few curated Em7b5 shapes with fret numbers, intervals and root markers.

Em7b5 — Drop 2, root on 6th string, frets 0–2

Em7b5 — Drop 2, root on 5th string, frets 6–9

Em7b5 — Drop 2, root on 4th string, frets 1–4

Compatible scales for Em7b5

Open interactive scale pages that naturally pair with this chord.

Other chord qualities on the E root

Compare this chord with other qualities sharing the same root.