Dm7b5 Guitar Chord Chart and Fingering
The D half-diminished chord, written Dm7b5, is spelled D, F, Ab and C: the root, minor third, flat five and minor seventh. The only tritone in the chord lies between the root and the flat five.
Dm7b5 is the vii chord in Eb major and the ii chord in C minor. A scale that covers every chord tone is the D Locrian scale, which is where to start when you improvise. Moving in and out of it gets easier with smoother chord changes.
A half-diminished chord is a diminished triad with a minor seventh on top, while the fully diminished seventh lowers that seventh by one more semitone.
D minor 7th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as Dm7b5, Dm7(b5), Dø7 or Dmin7b5. It is also known as the D half-diminished chord.
Dm7b5 Chord Notes and Formula
Notes of the D m7b5 chord:
Chord structure of the Minor Seventh Flat five chord:
Formula: 1 b3 b5 b7
D M7b5 Chord Interactive Fretboard
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Chords That Go With Dm7b5
One key where Dm7b5 fits is Eb 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 Dm7b5?
Dm7b5 is spelled D, F, Ab and C. These are the root, minor third, flat fifth and minor seventh. Ab is six semitones from D.
What does half-diminished mean for D half-diminished?
It describes a diminished triad, D, F and Ab, with a minor seventh, C, on top. The full diminished seventh chord would use Cb instead, so only part of the chord is diminished.
How does Dm7b5 differ from D minor seventh?
The fifth is lowered. D minor seventh has A, while Dm7b5 has Ab. The minor third F and minor seventh C stay the same.
Which scale fits Dm7b5?
The D Locrian scale, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, includes all four chord tones. Use it as a source of melody notes over the chord.
In which keys does Dm7b5 appear as a diatonic chord?
Dm7b5 is the vii chord of Eb major and the ii chord of C minor. In C minor it commonly leads to a dominant chord.
