The Em7b5 Guitar Chord Is A Half-Diminished Seventh Chord. You Can Look At It As A Minor Seventh Chord With A Diminished Fifth (m7b5). And It Appears Naturally In The Key Of F-Major/ D-Minor.
Good News Are That Most Of The 11 Shapes I Will Show You Here Are Not That Hard To Play. But Just In Case That You Are A Complete Guitar Beginner, Make Sure That You Know How To Read Chord Diagrams And Make Sure You Go Through My Ultimate Guide On How To Play Guitar Chords Right. There You’ll Discover Many Awesome Tips And Tricks For Guitar Beginners Who Wanna Start With Playing Chords.
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Chord Info Box: Em7b5
Chord Type: Half-Diminished Seventh (m7b5)
Can Be Found In The Following Key: F-Major
Note Structure:
Root Note E
Minor Third G
Diminished-Fifth Bb
Flat Seventh D
No. 1 – The Open String Shape Of The Em7b5 Guitar Chord
Guitar Chord Diagram
This shape is an easy Em7b5 guitar chord shape and the only one where you are using both many open strings. The root note is on the open e strings and on the 2nd fret on the d string as well.
No. 2
Guitar Chord Diagram
Make sure to mute both open strings. Although the low e string is the root it’s best to mute it anyway because the root note is also on the d string on the 2nd fret. You can use alternatively the middle finger to fret the barre instead of the ring finger, if that’s easier for you.
No. 3
Guitar Chord Diagram
This shape is great for jazz style comping guitar playing. All you need to do in order to make it work is to mute the low a string with your middle finger and the high e string. But be aware that the third (g) is the lowest note here, so it might be not the best choice for some situations where the root note must be in the bass. Here the root note is on the d string on the 2nd fret.
No. 4
Guitar Chord Diagram
This shape is rather uncommon because you need to stretch your pinky finger & ring finger between the 5th and the 7th fret and this makes this chord shape relatively hard and unpractical. But for the sake of completeness, here it is. The root note is on the a-string on the 7th fret.
No. 5
Guitar Chord Diagram
This shape is rather unpractical, because it’s with the fifth on the bass and it’s a little hard to play as well. The root note is on the 7th fret on the a string. The 1st finger isn’t playing a barre. You really need to fret the high and low e string and also mute the d string with your index finger.It’s tricky but possible. Alternatively, you can mute the e strings and then the shape becomes more use- and playful.
No. 6
Guitar Chord Diagram
This shape is mandatory. It’s best for most situations where you need an Em7b5 guitar chord. The root note is on the a string here.
No. 7
Guitar Chord Diagram
This chord voicing got the fifth (Bb) on the d string, so it’s a little special and not for most rhythm guitar situations. the root note is on the 9 th fret on the g string. Make sure to mute the low bass strings with your thumb (see the photo above).
No. 8
Guitar Chord Diagram
This chord shape is also a great one for using it in jazz style comping scenarios. Make sure to mute the d string and the low e string. Although the e string is not a wrong note but it sounds weird in this context. Just try and decide for yourself. Here the third (g) is in the bass and the root note is on the g string on the 9th fret.
No. 9
Guitar Chord Diagram
This shape is also very common and mandatory to learn! Although, in the case of the Em7b5 Chord it’s relatively high on the fret board and therefore high voiced. But it’s comfortable to play and the root note is on the low e string.
No. 10
Guitar Chord Diagram
This one here is a good one because it’s comfortable to play while standing. It’s very similar to the previous one.
No. 11
Guitar Chord Diagram
Maybe a little high on the fretboard but anyway still a valid Em7b5 guitar chord shape. Maybe the stretch is a little hard to play… Try and decide!
So What’s Next?
Congratulation! You went through so many Chords…
I Hope You’ve Gained Many Worthwhile Insights
And Learned One Or Two New Things! That Would Be Great!
Let Me Know Where You Need More Guidance Or Help With In The Comments Or Just Share Your Thoughts.
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If You Wanna Discover More Useful & Chord Related Content Then Check Out The Following Tutorials:
- Wanna Learn The Barre Chords Faster? Go Here.
- Or Maybe You Just Want To Discover The Easiest Chords Of All Time? They Sound Pretty Pretty Nice & And Pro Level!
- You Wanna Learn The Standard Chords And Some Beginner Friendly Versions? Great! Go Here!
- How About Some Great Finger Exercises For Absolute Guitar Beginners?
- This One Here Is A Must. Learn How To Practice Difficult Chords So That You Can Master Them Quicker.
- And If You Wanna Learn More About The Music Theory Of A Half-Diminished Seventh Chord Then You Can Do This Here.
Stay Tuned, Have Fun Playing Guitar And Be Your Own Teacher.
