B half-diminished (Bm7b5) chord on banjo

The B half-diminished chord (Bm7b5) is a half-diminished seventh chord (a diminished triad plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: B – D – F – A.

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 6medium

Position 4medium

Position 9easy

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What the Bm7b5 chord sounds like

The half-diminished (m7b5) chord is a diminished triad with a minor seventh. In a minor key it sits on degree ii – the first chord of the minor ii–V–i.

Notes of the Bm7b5 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	B	root
3	D	minor third (3 semitones)
5	F	diminished fifth (6 semitones)
7	A	minor seventh (10 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 3, middle finger (F4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)
String 4 (D): open (D3)

Position 6

String 1 (D): fret 7, ring finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 6, index finger (F4)
String 3 (G): fret 7, middle finger (D4)
String 4 (D): fret 9, little finger (B3)

Position 4

String 1 (D): fret 7, little finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 6, ring finger (F4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, index finger (B3)
String 4 (D): open (D3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The Bm7b5 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

C major: viiø7
A minor: iiø7

Similar chords and substitutes

If Bm7b5 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

G9 – a rootless dominant ninth: the same notes over a root a major third lower
E7 – the next chord in a minor ii–V–i (V)

Same notes

Dm6 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

Bdim – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Bm7b5 chord?

B, D, F, A. The root is B; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, diminished fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play Bm7b5 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.