About the Am7♭5 chord
The half-diminished chord, also written ø7, is a minor seventh with a flattened fifth. In jazz it is usually the first chord of a minor two-five-one. The symbol for it is Am7♭5.
How to play Am7♭5
- Put your index finger on the D string at fret 1.
- Put your middle finger on the B string at fret 1.
- Strum and let the A and G strings ring open, and don't play the low E and high E strings.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Other A chords
Am7♭5 chord questions
What notes are in a Am7♭5 chord?
Am7♭5 is made of A, C, E♭ and G. In intervals that is 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7 above the root, A.
What is the easiest way to play Am7♭5?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 0 1 0 1 x from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is Am7♭5 a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.