What notes are in a G half-diminished chord?

G half-diminished contains four notes: G (root), B♭ (minor third), D♭ (diminished fifth), and F (minor seventh).

How does Gm7♭5 resolve?

In F minor: Gm7♭5 → C7 → Fm. The chord prepares the dominant C7, which resolves to the tonic Fm.

Is Gm7♭5 the same as G°7?

No — different chords. G°7 (G-B♭-D♭-F♭) has a diminished 7th (F♭); Gm7♭5 (G-B♭-D♭-F) has a minor 7th (F natural). The half-diminished version is functionally a iiø7; the fully-diminished is a vii°7.

Where does G half-diminished appear in music?

In F-minor cadences in classical and jazz: Beethoven's "Appassionata" Sonata, Chopin's F-minor Ballade, "Stella by Starlight," and many other F-minor works.

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

G half-diminished (Gm7♭5 or Gø) — G, B♭, D♭, F — is the iiø7 of F minor. The chord serves the standard minor-key-cadence role and shows up in every F-minor jazz tune as well as classical F-minor literature including Beethoven's "Appassionata" Sonata.

Intervals

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

G→Bbminor 3rd3 semitones
Bb→Dbminor 3rd3 semitones
Db→Fmajor 3rd4 semitones

On the keyboard

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

On the guitar

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

Common mistakes

Gm7♭5 has G-B♭-D♭-F. The two flats (B♭, D♭) plus two naturals (G, F) is the chord's signature. Replacing D♭ with D natural makes Gm7 (regular minor seventh, no flat fifth); the chord then loses its half-diminished function. The natural seventh F is what distinguishes Gm7♭5 from G°7 (which has F♭).

In context

Gm7♭5 → C7 → Fm is the ii–V–i in F minor. Beethoven's "Appassionata" Sonata uses exactly this preparation throughout its first movement. In jazz, Gm7♭5 appears in any F-minor tune — "Stella by Starlight" has a Gm7♭5 → C7 → Fm6 cadence at one of its primary moments.

Drill it

The G 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.

Open the Chord Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzle

Frequently asked

What notes are in a G half-diminished chord?: G half-diminished contains four notes: G (root), B♭ (minor third), D♭ (diminished fifth), and F (minor seventh).
How does Gm7♭5 resolve?: In F minor: Gm7♭5 → C7 → Fm. The chord prepares the dominant C7, which resolves to the tonic Fm.
Is Gm7♭5 the same as G°7?: No — different chords. G°7 (G-B♭-D♭-F♭) has a diminished 7th (F♭); Gm7♭5 (G-B♭-D♭-F) has a minor 7th (F natural). The half-diminished version is functionally a iiø7; the fully-diminished is a vii°7.
Where does G half-diminished appear in music?: In F-minor cadences in classical and jazz: Beethoven's "Appassionata" Sonata, Chopin's F-minor Ballade, "Stella by Starlight," and many other F-minor works.