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