Half diminished fingering

[Open_Tuna]

Here's what should be an easy one.

What is the preferred fingering for this half-diminished chord?

xx5666

(I DID actually look around . . . a little.)

[JazzFanatik]

I'd use my middle finger to bar the 6th fret and use my pointer finger to bar the 5th fret. You will not hear any of the notes on the 5th fret besides the G since the 6th fret is barred also.

But that's just me...

[docbop]

I'm not used to the online tab stuff if I'm reading that right xx5666 I use index and middle fingers. The index catches the 5 and is almost like a bar. Then I use my middle finger as a bar and catch the 666. Think James Brown 9th chord without the root. In fact you could play it like a 9th chord and that would leave your index finger free to play walking bass notes.

[Aristotle]

Any fingering. Depends on what I walked down from, or if I want a pivot finger to set something up. Mostly 1-3, sometimes 1-2, occasionally (on nylon) 1-2-3-4.

[JonnyPac]

I'd use my middle finger to bar the 6th fret and use my pointer finger to bar the 5th fret. You will not hear any of the notes on the 5th fret besides the G since the 6th fret is barred also.

But that's just me...

And me.

[Stackabones]

I often use index and pinky. If I need to reach out a whole step on the first string, I use index and middle.

[Open_Tuna]

The index and middle are what I have beeen using, but last night I was fooling around with something like this
xx5667
and I started thinking . . . .
Should I be using all four fingers (on both of them)?

But (especially) on the first one (half dim) if you go up high enough it gets real cramped. OTOH, it seems that semi-barring slows me down compared to using all fingers and staying on "top."

Anyways, thanks.

[JazzFanatik]

I use this chord mostly for funk to be honest (like docbop says, the James brown chord! ) can anyone put this chord in context in a simple jazz chord progression?

I know i've also used it as passing chord...but that's pretty much it =/

Anyone have any other ideas?

[Open_Tuna]

I was using it as the "highest" chord in White Christmas.
"Just like the ONES I use to know."

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

"It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to finger a chord."

[randalljazz]

Here's what should be an easy one.

What is the preferred fingering for this one:

xx5666

(I DID actually look around . . . a little.)

in my classical days (fading into the mists of time), i would use 1-2-3-4. now i would usually use 1 for the G and bar the rest with 3, unless i want to grab the 11th with the 4, in which case i would bar with 2 in lower positions...

[Dark Star]

"It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to finger a chord."

I second that. Generally I'd use fingers 1 & 3 to play it. But recently I've sterted using 1 & 2 so I can get some reach w/my pinkie, or to create another voice altogether w/the unused fingers (3 & 4).
As to it's usage, it's not just for funk. I use it as often as a -7b5 as I do a 9 chord.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

As to it's usage, it's not just for funk. I use it as often as a -7b5 as I do a 9 chord.

Don't forget that xx5666 is also Bbmin6.

[cosmic gumbo]

It's also A7+5b9

[bako]

X X 5 7 7 7

X X 5 6 6 6

X X 4 4 5 5

X X 4 5 4 5

X X 2 4 3 3

X X 2 3 3 3

X X 0 2 2 2

[guitarist]

Clearly that is the easiest way to play the m7b5 chords with the root on the D or 4th string. For me, I prefer to use my first and third fingers to play this form. This allows me to use the pinky for add on notes 11th etc.

[guitarist]

X X 5 7 7 7 G maj 7

X X 5 6 6 6 Gm7b5 or Bbm6

X X 2 4 3 3 G6

X X 2 3 3 3 Em7b5 or Gm6

X X 0 2 2 2 F#m/D

[Dark Star]

Don't forget that xx5666 is also Bbmin6.

Last Saturday at Tim Lerch's Fluid Harmony Workshop he discussed many different names & uses this particular chord has. It made me dizzy.

[docbop]

Last Saturday at Tim Lerch's Fluid Harmony Workshop he discussed many different names & uses this particular chord has. It made me dizzy.

Chord Pluralities is great topic. Back when I was at GIT one of the instructors showed me a "Magic Chord" one voicing with 12 different names depending on what you considered the bass to be. Sheryl Bailey has a video over at Mikes Master Classes on Chord Pluralities and I've got another I think I got from Sheryl on all the pluralities in the harmonized Melodic Minor scale. It all boils down to what chords preceded the chord in how it is perceived by the ear/listener.

[guitarist]

DocPop: You are scaring me. It sounds like Jon Damien's Chord palette which also scared me at Berklee.

[GuyB]

I use this chord mostly for funk to be honest (like docbop says, the James brown chord! ) can anyone put this chord in context in a simple jazz chord progression?

I know i've also used it as passing chord...but that's pretty much it =/

Anyone have any other ideas?

For one example, in Autumn Leaves, the minor ii-V-i (F#m7b5 - B7 - Em9), I could use the fingering xx4555 for the F#m7b5 and xx4445 for the B7, very fast and easy.