Bm7♭5 chord on piano
Bm7♭5 is B, D, F and A. B sits just right of the group of three black keys. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
root position · B–D–F–A · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- B · D · F · A
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
How to play Bm7♭5 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from B: 3 half steps up to D, 3 half steps up to F then 4 half steps up to A. That's the whole chord: 4 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on B, 2 on D, 3 on F and 5 on A.
- Left hand: 5 on B, 3 on D, 2 on F and 1 on A.
- On the keyboard it's white, white, white and white keys.
Bm7♭5 inversions
- root position: B–D–F–A. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: D–F–A–B, with D at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: F–A–B–D, with F at the bottom. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: A–B–D–F (A in the bass). Fingers 1-2-3-5.
Inversions keep the same notes and change which one is lowest. Moving between chords, pick the inversion that keeps your hand closest to where it already is.
Bm7♭5 chord changes
The chords Bm7♭5 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.
- E7 (the iiø7 of a minor key heads to V7): Bm7♭5 to E7: play E7 in 2nd inversion (B–D–E–G♯) and B and D stay under the same fingers, while F moves down to E and A down to G♯. E7 on piano
- Cmaj7 (I in C major): Bm7♭5 to Cmaj7: play Cmaj7 in 3rd inversion (B–C–E–G) and B stays under the same finger, while D moves down to C, F down to E and A down to G. Cmaj7 on piano
- Em7 (iii in C major): Bm7♭5 to Em7: play Em7 in 2nd inversion (B–D–E–G) and B and D stay under the same fingers, while F moves down to E and A down to G. Em7 on piano
Bm7♭5 is a half-diminished chord (minor seventh flat five). Bm7♭5 is the ii chord of a minor key, the first step of a minor ii–V–i. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
A short Bm7♭5 drill
Roll the chord up and back down, B, D, F, A, F, D, B, before playing it as a block. Finish with the inversions in order: B–D–F–A; D–F–A–B; F–A–B–D; A–B–D–F.
The keys of Bm7♭5
Bm7♭5 is a half-diminished chord, 1–♭3–♭5–♭7 from B. Root position, from the bottom: how Bm7♭5 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| D | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | minor third |
| F | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | diminished fifth |
| A | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | minor seventh |
Keys and progressions with Bm7♭5
Bm7♭5 on guitar and ukulele
Bm7♭5 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Next to try on piano
Other half-diminished chords
Bm7♭5 on piano: questions
What notes are in Bm7♭5 on piano?
B, D, F and A: B (white key), D (white key), F (white key) and A (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play Bm7♭5 on piano?
Press B, D, F and A together, all white keys. Right hand: 1 on B, 2 on D, 3 on F and 5 on A.
What are the inversions of Bm7♭5?
1st inversion (D–F–A–B), 2nd inversion (F–A–B–D) and 3rd inversion (A–B–D–F), after root position (B–D–F–A). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does Bm7♭5 look like on the keyboard?
white, white, white and white keys.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes B, D, F and A and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.