What notes are in an A half-diminished chord?

A half-diminished contains four notes: A (root), C (minor third), E♭ (diminished fifth), and G (minor seventh).

How does Am7♭5 resolve?

In G minor: Am7♭5 → D7 → Gm. The chord prepares the dominant D7, which resolves to the Gm tonic. This is one of the most-used cadences in Western music.

Is Am7♭5 the same as Am7?

No — different chords. Am7 (A-C-E-G) has a perfect fifth; Am7♭5 (A-C-E♭-G) lowers that fifth a half step, producing the half-diminished colour and the iiø7 function in G minor.

Where does A half-diminished appear in famous music?

Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor uses Am7♭5 at every primary cadence. Bach's G-minor preludes and fugues, "Solar" by Miles Davis, "Beautiful Love" — anywhere G minor appears in standard repertoire.

A half-diminished chord — notes, intervals, and practice

A half-diminished (Am7♭5 or Aø) — A, C, E♭, G — is the iiø7 of G minor and a workhorse jazz chord. Mozart's G-minor symphonies (No. 25 and No. 40) use this exact chord at every primary cadence; in jazz, "Solar," "Beautiful Love," and many other G-minor standards open with Am7♭5.

Intervals

The A half-diminished chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

A→Cminor 3rd3 semitones
C→Ebminor 3rd3 semitones
Eb→Gmajor 3rd4 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the A half-diminished chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the A half-diminished chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

Am7♭5 has A-C-E♭-G. Three naturals plus the flat fifth (E♭) is the chord's signature. The most common error is reading E♭ as E natural, which makes Am7 (regular minor seventh, no flat fifth); the half-diminished colour requires the lowered fifth. The natural seventh G distinguishes Am7♭5 from A°7 (which has G♭).

In context

Am7♭5 → D7 → Gm is the ii–V–i in G minor — Mozart's most-used cadence in his G-minor symphonies. In jazz, the same progression underlies "Solar" (Miles Davis), "Beautiful Love," and many other G-minor standards.

Drill it

The A half-diminished chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in an A half-diminished chord?: A half-diminished contains four notes: A (root), C (minor third), E♭ (diminished fifth), and G (minor seventh).
How does Am7♭5 resolve?: In G minor: Am7♭5 → D7 → Gm. The chord prepares the dominant D7, which resolves to the Gm tonic. This is one of the most-used cadences in Western music.
Is Am7♭5 the same as Am7?: No — different chords. Am7 (A-C-E-G) has a perfect fifth; Am7♭5 (A-C-E♭-G) lowers that fifth a half step, producing the half-diminished colour and the iiø7 function in G minor.
Where does A half-diminished appear in famous music?: Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor uses Am7♭5 at every primary cadence. Bach's G-minor preludes and fugues, "Solar" by Miles Davis, "Beautiful Love" — anywhere G minor appears in standard repertoire.