F♯m7♭5 chord
F♯m7♭5 is F♯, A, C and E: 1–♭3–♭5–♭7 built on F♯. See and hear it on all three instruments below.
On guitar
2-0-2-2-1-0 · open · medium
- Notes
- F♯ · A · C · E
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
- First shape
- 2-0-2-2-1-0
F♯m7♭5 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · F♯–A–C–E · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- F♯ · A · C · E
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
F♯m7♭5 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
2-4-2-3 · movable · medium
- Notes
- F♯ · A · C · E
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
- First shape
- 2-4-2-3
Changing out of F♯m7♭5
The moves below are the ones you'll meet most, shown for guitar and piano.
- F♯m7♭5 → B7 (the iiø7 of a minor key heads to V7)
Guitar: F♯m7♭5 (2-0-2-2-1-0) to B7 (x-2-1-2-0-2): your index finger lands on the D string, 1st fret, the middle finger slides across to the A string at the same fret, the ring finger slides across to the G string at the same fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Listen for F♯ and A, which stay put while the rest moves.
Piano: F♯m7♭5 to B7: play B7 in 2nd inversion (F♯–A–B–D♯) and F♯ and A stay under the same fingers, while C moves down to B and E down to D♯. B7 - F♯m7♭5 → Gmaj7 (I in G major)
Guitar: F♯m7♭5 (2-0-2-2-1-0) to Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2): move the index finger to the A string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the high E string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the low E string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared note: F♯.
Piano: F♯m7♭5 to Gmaj7: play Gmaj7 in 3rd inversion (F♯–G–B–D) and F♯ stays under the same finger, while A moves down to G, C down to B and E down to D. Gmaj7 - F♯m7♭5 → Bm7 (iii in G major)
Guitar: F♯m7♭5 (2-0-2-2-1-0) to Bm7 (x-2-0-2-0-2): move the index finger to the A string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the high E string, 2nd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared notes: F♯ and A.
Piano: F♯m7♭5 to Bm7: play Bm7 in 2nd inversion (F♯–A–B–D) and F♯ and A stay under the same fingers, while C moves down to B and E down to D. Bm7
How F♯m7♭5 is built
F♯m7♭5 is a half-diminished chord (minor seventh flat five). It is the natural ii chord of a minor key: F♯m7♭5 is ii in E minor, where it leads to B7 and then home.
Start on F♯, count 3 half steps up to A, 3 half steps up to C then 4 half steps up to E. G♭m7♭5 is the other spelling of the same chord.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| F♯ | root | 0 | |
| A | minor third | 3 | |
| C | diminished fifth | 6 | |
| E | minor seventh | 10 |
Keys and progressions with F♯m7♭5
F♯m7♭5 belongs to 2 keys: viiø7 in G major and iiø7 in E minor.
Chords close to F♯m7♭5
- F♯m7♭5 and F♯m7 differ by one note: C in F♯m7♭5, C♯ in F♯m7. They share F♯, A and E. F♯m7
Chords that share most of their notes with F♯m7♭5: Am6, D9, F♯dim, Am, C6, Cdim7.
Every F♯ chord
F♯m7♭5 chord: questions
What notes are in the F♯m7♭5 chord?
F♯, A, C and E. F♯m7♭5 is built 1–♭3–♭5–♭7 from F♯: A is the minor third, C is the diminished fifth and E is the minor seventh.
How do you play F♯m7♭5 on guitar?
The usual shape is 2-0-2-2-1-0 (open). All 4 guitar shapes.
How do you play F♯m7♭5 on piano?
Play F♯, A, C and E with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. F♯ sits on the first black key of the group of three. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play F♯m7♭5 on ukulele?
2-4-2-3 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is F♯m7♭5 in?
F♯m7♭5 belongs to 2 keys: viiø7 in G major and iiø7 in E minor.
What's the difference between F♯m7♭5 and F♯m7?
F♯m7♭5 and F♯m7 differ by one note: C in F♯m7♭5, C♯ in F♯m7. They share F♯, A and E.
All three instruments are drawn and played from F♯, A, C and E by the same engine. Updated September 2026.