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B-flat Half-Diminished 7th Chord
The B-flat Half-Diminished 7th Chord is B-flat, D-flat, F-flat, and A-flat. The F-flat is the white key E, so only the third note is white. The spelling takes some reading, but the hand shape is compact, with a dark, searching sound.
How to play the B-flat Half-Diminished 7th Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the B-flat 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-flat 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-flat 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 | B♭m7♭5 or B♭ø7 |
The B-flat 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-flat 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 | B♭ø6/5 or B♭m7♭5/D♭ |
The B-flat 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-flat 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 | B♭ø4/3 or B♭m7♭5/F♭ |
The B-flat 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-flat 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 | B♭ø4/2 or B♭m7♭5/A♭ |
B-flat 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 common keys that use this chord are sharp keys, so it is usually written as A♯ half-diminished 7th, and the spelling follows the key. The A♯ half-diminished 7th chord is the leading-tone chord (viiø7) in B major. In minor keys, it is the supertonic (iiø7) in G♯ minor.
The notes are also a minor 6th chord in inversion: A♯ø7 contains the same four notes as C♯m6, which is why theory books sometimes describe it as a minor triad with an added sixth. Try playing A♯ø7 and then A♯°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-flat
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