Skip to content
    Music A-Level

    half-diminished 7th

    What half-diminished 7th means in Music A-Level, as defined for AQA.

    Definitions of half-diminished 7th

    Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.

    Check what you remember

    Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain half-diminished 7th in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.

    Reference: AQA

    A chord consisting of a root, minor third, diminished fifth, and minor seventh, often used as a predominant chord or for dramatic, ambiguous tension in theatre music.
    AQA · Area of study 4: Music for theatre - Musical elements
    A chord consisting of a root, minor third, diminished fifth, and minor seventh, often notated as m⁷⁽♭⁵⁾ or ø⁷.
    AQA · Area of study 3: Music for media - Musical elements

    Topics that use half-diminished 7th

    Related terms

    Using half-diminished 7th in the exam

    Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.

    Practise Music questions

    Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.

    Start free

    A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge

    All Music A-Level terms