Chord Shapes

Minor 7th Flat 5

Intervals: 1-b3-b5-b7. Also called the half-diminished chord. In jazz it is the standard ii chord in minor iiø–V–i progressions (e.g. Bm7b5–E7–Am). The combination of b5 and b7 creates a hollow, tense sound that leans strongly towards the following dominant. Conceptually, a m7b5 chord can be heard as a rootless V9 chord: for example Bm7b5 shares its upper tones with E7b9. Because of this, it slides very naturally into V7. While it can appear in other contexts (as a viiø chord in major or as a passing harmony), its most important role is as the pre-dominant chord in minor, often surviving only a bar or two before resolving.