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Em7♭5 Guitar Chord

E half-diminished (Em7♭5) is made of the notes E G B♭ D. Here are 3 ways to play it on guitar, starting with the easiest.

How to play Em7♭5 on guitar

  1. Shape 1

    Open position

    1 3 E B♭ D G D E

    010030

  2. Shape 2

    Barre at fret 5

    5fr 1 3 4 2 E G D E B♭

    x75756

  3. Shape 3

    Barre at fret 12

    12fr 1 2 4 E B♭ D G D E

    12-13-12-12-15-12

Notes in Em7♭5

Formula 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7
DegreeNote
1E
♭3G
♭5B♭
♭7D

Shape 1 step by step

  1. Put your index finger on string 5 at fret 1.
  2. Put your ring finger on string 2 at fret 3.
  3. Let strings 6, 4, 3, 1 ring open.
  4. Strum from string 6 to string 1.

Shape 2 step by step

  1. Lay your index finger flat across strings 4 to 2 at fret 5.
  2. Put your ring finger on string 5 at fret 7.
  3. Put your little finger on string 3 at fret 7.
  4. Put your middle finger on string 1 at fret 6.
  5. Don’t play string 6.
  6. Strum from string 5 to string 1.

Tune your guitar first

A chord only sounds right when your instrument is in tune. Check your strings with the free online tuner before you practise. Open the guitar tuner

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Em7♭5 chord?

E half-diminished has the notes E G B♭ D. Its formula is 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7. The numbers are steps of the major scale, counted from the root.

What is the easiest way to play Em7♭5 on guitar?

Start with shape 1 (open position), written as 010030 from string 6 to string 1. Here x means you don’t play that string and 0 means it rings open.

What is the difference between Em7♭5 and Edim7?

Em7♭5 has the notes E G B♭ D, and Edim7 has E G B♭ D♭. The only difference is that Em7♭5 has D where Edim7 has D♭.

Half-diminished chords in every key

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