Build the sound
Play B – D – F – A individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · Bm7♭5 · Guitar
Bm7♭5 voicings on guitar
Bm7♭5 is spelled B – D – F – A (1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7) — the iiø chord of a minor ii–V–i. Here are 5 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell, rootless a, rootless b. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
5 ways to play Bm7♭5.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Drop 2
F · B · D · ATake the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings D-G-B-e, frets 3-4-3-5 (position 1).
Drop 3
D · B · F · ADrop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings A-G-B-e, frets 5-4-6-5 (position 2).
Shell (1–7–3)
B · A · DRoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings A-G-B, frets 2-2-3.
Rootless A (3–5–7–9)
D · F · A · C♯Bill Evans-style left-hand voicing: the third on the bottom, the ninth on top, the bass player supplies the root. Strings A-D-G-B, frets 5-3-2-2 (position 1).
Rootless B (7–9–3–5)
A · C♯ · D · FThe companion rootless voicing with the seventh on the bottom. Alternate A and B so the top voice moves by step through a ii–V–I. Strings E-A-G-B, frets 5-4-7-6 (position 3).
Your next 10 minutes
Make B Half-diminished (m7♭5) part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of Bm7♭5. Notice which note is highest in each. Repeat the two shapes with the smallest comfortable hand movement, leaving a beat of silence between them.
Comp with space
Play Bm7♭5 on beats 2 and 4 at 60 bpm for four bars, then on the “and” of beat 2 for four bars. Keep the same notes while changing the rhythm. Mute unused strings and test each fretted note for buzz.
Listen for this: The chord tones are B, D, F, A. the iiø chord of a minor ii–V–i. A fuller voicing is not automatically better: leave room for the melody and bass.
Understand the sound
Bm7♭5: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives Bm7♭5 its identity?
Compare the flat fifth with a perfect fifth while keeping the other notes fixed. That one change turns a minor seventh into a half-diminished chord.
Here the third is D, and degree ♭7 is A. Play B in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Choose a useful voicing
Start with the smallest displayed shape you can play cleanly. Move its highest note into a comfortable register and listen for a clear melody above the chord.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with B on string 6, fret 7. The next note D is on string 6, fret 10. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: B · D · F · A. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
Behind the voicings
Every Bm7♭5 chord tone on the fretboard.
Reference
Bm7♭5 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | unison |
| ♭3 | D | minor 3rd |
| ♭5 | F | diminished 5th |
| ♭7 | A | minor 7th |
Arpeggio: Bm7♭5 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: B Locrian.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp Bm7♭5 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
Bm7♭5 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in Bm7♭5?
B, D, F, A — chord tones 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7. Rootless voicings add the 9th, C♯, and leave the root to the bass.
What is the easiest Bm7♭5 voicing on guitar?
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings A, G, B: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like Bm7♭5.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing B D F A and drop the second note from the top an octave: F – B – D – A. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does Bm7♭5 appear?
Bm7♭5 is the iiø chord of a minor ii–V–i. Its character is dark, unstable, leading.
Keep going
Half-diminished (m7♭5) voicings in every other key.
Same chord on piano · Half-diminished (m7♭5) hub.
Other chords from B