What notes are in an F half-diminished chord?

F half-diminished contains four notes: F (root), A♭ (minor third), C♭ (diminished fifth — same pitch as B), and E♭ (minor seventh).

How does Fm7♭5 resolve?

In E♭ minor: Fm7♭5 → B♭7 → E♭m. The chord prepares the dominant B♭7, which then resolves to the tonic E♭m.

Why is the fifth C♭ instead of B?

The half-diminished chord builds on the diminished triad (root, ♭3, ♭5). From F, the fifth letter is C; the diminished version of C natural is C♭. Calling the note B would skip the C letter.

Where does F half-diminished appear in music?

In E♭-minor cadences in classical and jazz. Bach's WTC I prelude in E♭ minor uses Fm7♭5; jazz pianists like Bill Evans use it constantly in their darker minor-key voicings.

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

F half-diminished (Fm7♭5 or Fø) — F, A♭, C♭, E♭ — is the iiø7 of E♭ minor, a deeply flat-side chord. The C♭ (enharmonic to B) signals the chord's flat-key home. Like all half-diminished chords, Fm7♭5 sets up minor-key cadences with a darker, jazz-tinged colour.

Intervals

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

F→Abminor 3rd3 semitones
Ab→Cbminor 3rd3 semitones
Cb→Ebmajor 3rd4 semitones

On the keyboard

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

On the guitar

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

Common mistakes

The fifth is C♭, enharmonic to B natural. In jazz lead-sheet practice, the chord is sometimes written Fm7♭5 with B as the fifth letter — strictly incorrect by the seven-letter rule, but common. Inside E♭-minor key contexts, C♭ preserves consistency with the surrounding flat-side harmony.

In context

Fm7♭5 → B♭7 → E♭m is the ii–V–i in E♭ minor. The chord appears in any E♭-minor jazz tune and in classical E♭-minor literature including Bach's WTC I prelude and fugue in E♭ minor.

Drill it

The F 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 F half-diminished chord?: F half-diminished contains four notes: F (root), A♭ (minor third), C♭ (diminished fifth — same pitch as B), and E♭ (minor seventh).
How does Fm7♭5 resolve?: In E♭ minor: Fm7♭5 → B♭7 → E♭m. The chord prepares the dominant B♭7, which then resolves to the tonic E♭m.
Why is the fifth C♭ instead of B?: The half-diminished chord builds on the diminished triad (root, ♭3, ♭5). From F, the fifth letter is C; the diminished version of C natural is C♭. Calling the note B would skip the C letter.
Where does F half-diminished appear in music?: In E♭-minor cadences in classical and jazz. Bach's WTC I prelude in E♭ minor uses Fm7♭5; jazz pianists like Bill Evans use it constantly in their darker minor-key voicings.