About the Em7♭5 chord
The half-diminished chord, also written ø7, is a minor seventh with a flattened fifth. In jazz it is usually the first chord of a minor two-five-one. The symbol for it is Em7♭5.
E1
G♭3
B♭♭5
D♭7
How to play Em7♭5
- Put your index finger on the A string at fret 1.
- Put your middle finger on the B string at fret 3.
- Strum and let the low E and D and G and high E strings ring open.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Other E chords
Em7♭5 chord questions
What notes are in a Em7♭5 chord?
Em7♭5 is made of E, G, B♭ and D. In intervals that is 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7 above the root, E.
What is the easiest way to play Em7♭5?
The first shape above is the most common one: 0 1 0 0 3 0 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is Em7♭5 a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.