G♯m7♭5 chord on piano
G♯m7♭5 is G♯, B, D and F♯. G♯ is the middle black key of the three. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
root position · G♯–B–D–F♯ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- G♯ · B · D · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
How to play G♯m7♭5 on piano
From G♯, go 3 half steps up to B, 3 half steps up to D then 4 half steps up to F♯. Those 4 keys are G♯m7♭5.
- Right hand: 1 on G♯, 2 on B, 3 on D and 5 on F♯.
- Left hand: 5 on G♯, 3 on B, 2 on D and 1 on F♯.
- On the keyboard it's black, white, white and black keys.
G♯m7♭5 inversions
- root position: G♯–B–D–F♯. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: B–D–F♯–G♯ (B in the bass). RH 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: D–F♯–G♯–B, D lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: F♯–G♯–B–D, with F♯ at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
G♯m7♭5 chord changes
These are the changes you'll meet most often with G♯m7♭5, using the first shape of each chord.
- C♯7 (the iiø7 of a minor key heads to V7): G♯m7♭5 to C♯7: play C♯7 in 2nd inversion (G♯–B–C♯–E♯) and G♯ and B stay under the same fingers, while D moves down to C♯ and F♯ down to E♯. C♯7 on piano
- Amaj7 (I in A major): G♯m7♭5 to Amaj7: play Amaj7 in 3rd inversion (G♯–A–C♯–E) and G♯ stays under the same finger, while B moves down to A, D down to C♯ and F♯ down to E. Amaj7 on piano
- C♯m7 (iii in A major): G♯m7♭5 to C♯m7: play C♯m7 in 2nd inversion (G♯–B–C♯–E) and G♯ and B stay under the same fingers, while D moves down to C♯ and F♯ down to E. C♯m7 on piano
G♯m7♭5 is a half-diminished chord (minor seventh flat five). G♯m7♭5 is the ii chord of a minor key, the first step of a minor ii–V–i. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
Practice G♯m7♭5 in two minutes
Play G♯m7♭5 broken, one key at a time: G♯, B, D, F♯, D, B, G♯. Then press the keys together and check that all 4 sound at the same volume. Finish with the inversions in order: G♯–B–D–F♯; B–D–F♯–G♯; D–F♯–G♯–B; F♯–G♯–B–D.
The keys of G♯m7♭5
G♯m7♭5 is a half-diminished chord, 1–♭3–♭5–♭7 from G♯. Root position, from the bottom: how G♯m7♭5 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| G♯ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| B | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | minor third |
| D | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | diminished fifth |
| F♯ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | minor seventh |
Written A♭m7♭5, it's the same chord with the same keys.
G♯m7♭5 in context
G♯m7♭5 on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: G♯m7♭5 on guitar and G♯m7♭5 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Related G♯ chords on piano
Other half-diminished chords
G♯m7♭5 on piano: questions
What notes are in G♯m7♭5 on piano?
G♯, B, D and F♯: G♯ (black key), B (white key), D (white key) and F♯ (black key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play G♯m7♭5 on piano?
Press G♯, B, D and F♯ together (2 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on G♯, 2 on B, 3 on D and 5 on F♯.
What are the inversions of G♯m7♭5?
1st inversion (B–D–F♯–G♯), 2nd inversion (D–F♯–G♯–B) and 3rd inversion (F♯–G♯–B–D), after root position (G♯–B–D–F♯). Same notes, a different one at the bottom.
What does G♯m7♭5 look like on the keyboard?
black, white, white and black keys.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside G♯m7♭5. Updated September 2026.