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F Half-Diminished 7th Chord
The F Half-Diminished 7th Chord is F, A-flat, C-flat, and E-flat. The C-flat is the white key B, so the shape alternates white and black keys. The spelling takes some reading, but under the hand it's a balanced shape, with a dark, searching sound.
How to play the F Half-Diminished 7th Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the F Half-Diminished 7th Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.
The F Half-Diminished 7th Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the F half-diminished 7th chord are stacked in thirds with F on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| F Half-Diminished 7th Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | F A♭ C♭ E♭ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Fm7♭5 or Fø7 |
The F Half-Diminished 7th Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (A♭) becomes the bottom note, and the root (F) jumps up to the top.
| F Half-Diminished 7th Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | A♭ C♭ E♭ F |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 4 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Fø6/5 or Fm7♭5/A♭ |
The F Half-Diminished 7th Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (C♭) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (A♭) goes to the top.
| F Half-Diminished 7th Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | C♭ E♭ F A♭ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Fø4/3 or Fm7♭5/C♭ |
The F Half-Diminished 7th Chord in third inversion
In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (E♭) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (C♭) goes to the top.
| F Half-Diminished 7th Chord in 3rd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | E♭ F A♭ C♭ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 4 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Fø4/2 or Fm7♭5/E♭ |
F Half-Diminished 7th Chord theory and function
The half-diminished 7th is a diminished triad with a minor seventh, and it is a softer kind of tension than the fully diminished chord. It is the ii chord of minor keys and the vii chord of major keys, and it usually leads to a dominant.
The F half-diminished 7th chord is the leading-tone chord (viiø7) in G♭ major. In minor keys, it is the supertonic (iiø7) in E♭ minor.
The pattern to know is ii – V – i in a minor key. In E♭ minor that is Fø7 – B♭7 – E♭m. The notes are also a minor 6th chord in inversion: Fø7 contains the same four notes as A♭m6, which is why theory books sometimes describe it as a minor triad with an added sixth. Try playing Fø7 and then F°7: the two chords differ by a single note, and it is worth hearing how much that one half step changes.
Other chords built on F
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