Build the sound
Play E – G – B♭ – D individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · Em7♭5 · Guitar
Em7♭5 voicings on guitar
Em7♭5 is spelled E – G – B♭ – D (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 Em7♭5.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Drop 2
B♭ · E · G · DTake 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 E-A-D-G, frets 6-7-5-7 (position 3).
Drop 3
G · E · B♭ · DDrop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings E-D-G-B, frets 3-2-3-3.
Shell (1–7–3)
E · D · GRoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings D-B-e, frets 2-3-3.
Rootless A (3–5–7–9)
G · B♭ · D · F♯Bill Evans-style left-hand voicing: the third on the bottom, the ninth on top, the bass player supplies the root. Strings E-G-B-e, frets 3-3-3-2.
Rootless B (7–9–3–5)
D · F♯ · G · B♭The 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 A-D-B-e, frets 5-4-8-6 (position 4).
Your next 10 minutes
Make E Half-diminished (m7♭5) part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of Em7♭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 Em7♭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 E, G, B♭, D. 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
Em7♭5: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives Em7♭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 G, and degree ♭7 is D. Play E 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 E on string 5, fret 7. The next note G is on string 5, 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: E · G · B♭ · D. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
Behind the voicings
Every Em7♭5 chord tone on the fretboard.
Reference
Em7♭5 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | unison |
| ♭3 | G | minor 3rd |
| ♭5 | B♭ | diminished 5th |
| ♭7 | D | minor 7th |
Arpeggio: Em7♭5 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: E Locrian.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp Em7♭5 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
Em7♭5 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in Em7♭5?
E, G, B♭, D — chord tones 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7. Rootless voicings add the 9th, F♯, and leave the root to the bass.
What is the easiest Em7♭5 voicing on guitar?
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings D, B, e: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like Em7♭5.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing E G B♭ D and drop the second note from the top an octave: B♭ – E – G – D. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does Em7♭5 appear?
Em7♭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 E