B half-diminished seventh

Bø7

Also written · Bm7(♭5) · B−7♭5 · Bm7b5

NotesB · D · F · A
Formula1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
B1D♭3F♭5A♭7
Root position

The ii chord of a minor key: Bø7 → E7(♭9)Am is the minor ii–V–i in A minor. It is also the vii chord of C major, and it has the same notes as Dm6.

How pianists voice Bø7

Nobody plays a jazz chord in root position. These are the shapes that actually get played — the same ones Cadenza shows when you play the chord.

Shell Left hand

B1D♭3A♭7

1 · ♭3 · ♭7 — root, 3rd and 7th: the three notes that say what the chord is. Left hand, low; everything else is colour.

Rootless A From the 3rd

D♭3F♭5A♭7C♯9

♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7 · 9 — no root: the bass player has it. The left-hand voicing of modern jazz piano. Without B underneath, the same keys read as Dm(maj7) — the bass turns them into Bø7.

Rootless B From the 7th

A♭7D♭3F♭5C♯9

♭7 · 9 · ♭3 · ♭5 — the other half of the pair. A and B alternate through a ii–V–I so the hand barely moves.

Drop 2 Two hands

F♭5B1D♭3A♭7

♭5 · 1 · ♭3 · ♭7 — close position with the second voice from the top dropped an octave: wider, warmer, the standard for chord melody.

Bø7 inversions

The same 4 notes with a different one in the bass. Each inversion is written as a slash chord.

Root position Bø7

B1D♭3F♭5A♭7

Root at the bottom, stacked in 3rds: 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7.

1st inversion Bø7/D

D♭3F♭5A♭7B1

D (the ♭3) in the bass: ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7 · 1.

2nd inversion Bø7/F

F♭5A♭7B1D♭3

F (the ♭5) in the bass: ♭5 · ♭7 · 1 · ♭3.

3rd inversion Bø7/A

A♭7B1D♭3F♭5

A (the ♭7) in the bass: ♭7 · 1 · ♭3 · ♭5.

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