Electric guitar · Half-diminished chord

Am7b5 Half-diminished

Key: A# Major
Easy
Open chord

Am7b5 is the A half-diminished chord on electric guitar, made of the notes A · C · D# · G.

Position 1 of 3Main

Notes

A
C
D#
G

Structure

1
♭3
♭5
♭7

Sound: Half-diminished (m7♭5); Dark, jazzy
Harmonic function: Dominant; Creates tension that resolves to the tonic.

Harmonic field of A# Major

Degree	Chord	Function
I	A#	Tonic
ii	Cm	Subdominant
iii	Dm	Tonic relative
IV	D#	Subdominant
V	F	Dominant
vi	Gm	Tonic relative
vii°	Adim	Dominant

How to play

1Place your middle finger on fret 1 of string 4.
2Place your ring finger on fret 1 of string 2.
3Let strings 5, 3 ring open.
4Don't play strings 6, 1.
5Strum from string 5 down.