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B Half-Diminished 7th Chord
The B Half-Diminished 7th Chord is B, D, F, and A, all white keys. It's a diminished chord with an A on top, and the sound is dark but less tense than a fully diminished seventh. With four white keys, it's worth noticing where the hand sits so the shape stays consistent.
How to play the B Half-Diminished 7th Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the B 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 B Half-Diminished 7th Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the B half-diminished 7th chord are stacked in thirds with B on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| B Half-Diminished 7th Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | B D F A |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Bm7♭5 or Bø7 |
The B Half-Diminished 7th Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (D) becomes the bottom note, and the root (B) jumps up to the top.
| B Half-Diminished 7th Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | D F A B |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 4 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Bø6/5 or Bm7♭5/D |
The B Half-Diminished 7th Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (F) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (D) goes to the top.
| B Half-Diminished 7th Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | F A B D |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Bø4/3 or Bm7♭5/F |
The B Half-Diminished 7th Chord in third inversion
In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (A) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (F) goes to the top.
| B Half-Diminished 7th Chord in 3rd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | A B D F |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 4 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Bø4/2 or Bm7♭5/A |
B 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 B half-diminished 7th chord is the leading-tone chord (viiø7) in C major. In minor keys, it is the supertonic (iiø7) in A minor.
The pattern to know is ii – V – i in a minor key. In A minor that is Bø7 – E7 – Am. The notes are also a minor 6th chord in inversion: Bø7 contains the same four notes as Dm6, which is why theory books sometimes describe it as a minor triad with an added sixth. Try playing Bø7 and then B°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 B
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