Em7b5 Half-Diminished
The Em7b5 chord is built from the notes E – G – Bb – D.
Piano sound loads on first tap.
Also known as
E-7b5Em7(b5)Em7(no5)b5Emin7b5EøEø7
Chord tones, one by one
ERoot
Root
The fundamental note the chord is built on — E.
GThird
Minor third
Three semitones — makes the chord minor (darker, sadder).
BbFifth
Diminished fifth (♭5)
Six semitones — a flat fifth. Creates instability, typical of m7♭5 and diminished chords.
DSeventh
Minor seventh (♭7)
Ten semitones — the dominant/minor seventh. Adds bluesy tension (7, m7).
🎼 Related scales
🎹 Modal analysis
This chord implies the Locrian scale; its characteristic note is the unstable ♭5.
🎸 Genres
Modern jazz · Post-bop · Fusion
🎤 Artists who made it famous
Richard Wagner