F-7(b5b9) Half-Diminished
The F-7(b5b9) chord is built from the notes F – Ab – Cb – Eb – Gb.
Piano sound loads on first tap.
Also known as
F-alt7b9Fm11b5b9b13Fm7(b5)b9Fm7b5b9Fmi7(b5b9)
Chord tones, one by one
FRoot
Root
The fundamental note the chord is built on — F.
AbThird
Minor third
Three semitones — makes the chord minor (darker, sadder).
CbFifth
Diminished fifth (♭5)
Six semitones — a flat fifth. Creates instability, typical of m7♭5 and diminished chords.
EbSeventh
Minor seventh (♭7)
Ten semitones — the dominant/minor seventh. Adds bluesy tension (7, m7).
GbExtension
Flat ninth (♭9)
A ♭9 — sharp, dissonant tension typical of altered dominant chords.
🎼 Related scales
🎹 Modal analysis
This chord implies the Locrian scale; its characteristic note is the unstable ♭5.
🎸 Genres
Modern jazz · Post-bop · Fusion