Guitar Chord Dictionary: D# Minor Seventh Flat five Chords
In D#m7b5, also called D# half-diminished, the notes are D#, F#, A and C#: the root, minor third, flat five and minor seventh. Because the fifth is flat, there is no perfect fifth to anchor the root, so the chord sounds unsettled on its own.
D#m7b5 is the vii chord of E major and the ii chord of C# minor. Every note of D#m7b5 sits inside the D# Aeolian b5 scale, so that scale is the natural place to look for melody notes. D#m7b5 and Ebm7b5 are enharmonic twins: two names for the same pitches.
D# minor 7th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as D#m7b5, D#m7(b5), D#ø7 or D#min7b5. It is also known as the D# half-diminished chord.
D#m7b5 Chord Notes and Formula
Notes of the D# m7b5 chord:
Tones of the Minor Seventh Flat five chord:
Formula: 1 b3 b5 b7
Same chord, different name: D#m7b5 is also written as Ebm7b5 (Eb half-diminished).
D# M7b5 Chord Interactive Fretboard
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Chords That Go With D#m7b5
One key where D#m7b5 fits is E major, where it works as the vii chord. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:
See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.
More D# Chords
Want to know how this chord is built? Read diminished and half-diminished chords, or browse all D# guitar chords.
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the notes of D#m7b5?
D#m7b5 is spelled D#, F#, A and C#. They are the root, minor third, flat fifth and minor seventh. A is six semitones from D#, and C# is ten.
Is D#m7b5 the same as Ebm7b5?
Yes, they share the same pitches and sound identical. D#m7b5 uses sharps, while Ebm7b5 is written with flats and needs the double flat Bbb.
How is D# half-diminished different from a D# minor seventh chord?
The fifth is flatter. D# minor seventh has A#, but the half-diminished chord has A. The minor third F# and minor seventh C# are identical in both.
What scale suits D#m7b5?
The D# Locrian scale, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, contains every note of the chord. Its notes agree with D#m7b5 whenever it sounds.
Where does D#m7b5 appear in a key?
D#m7b5 is the vii chord of E major and the ii chord of C# minor. The ii position is the common place to meet it in minor keys.
