Abm11b5 Half-Diminished
The Abm11b5 chord is built from the notes Ab – Cb – Ebb – Gb – Bb – Db.
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Chord tones, one by one
AbRoot
Root
The fundamental note the chord is built on — Ab.
CbThird
Minor third
Three semitones — makes the chord minor (darker, sadder).
EbbFifth
Diminished fifth (♭5)
Six semitones — a flat fifth. Creates instability, typical of m7♭5 and diminished chords.
GbSeventh
Minor seventh (♭7)
Ten semitones — the dominant/minor seventh. Adds bluesy tension (7, m7).
BbExtension
Ninth (9)
A 9th — colorful extension a whole step above the octave.
DbExtension
Eleventh (11)
An 11th — a suspended, airy color on top of the chord.
🎼 Related scales
Locrian ♮2 (half-diminished)melodic minor a major 6th below
🎹 Modal analysis
This chord implies the Locrian ♮2 (half-diminished) scale; its characteristic note is the natural 2nd, softer than plain Locrian. It is a mode of the melodic minor a major 6th below.
🎸 Genres
Modern jazz · Post-bop · Fusion