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D minor 7th flat 5th chord on bass (Dm7♭5)
Also called or written Dm7♭5, D or D Half Diminished Minor 7
D minor 7th flat 5th contains D, F, A♭ and C. The 10th-fret shape requires a wide stretch between the index and pinky fingers.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionD–F–A♭–CDm7♭510-11-10-10
- First inversionF–A♭–C–DDm7♭5/F1-3-0-1
- Second inversionA♭–C–D–FDm7♭5/A♭4-5-3-5
- Third inversionC–D–F–A♭Dm7♭5/C8-8-6-7
How do you play a D minor 7th flat 5th chord on bass?
D minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 10 10: index finger on the E string at fret 10, pinky finger on the A string at fret 11, middle finger on the D string at fret 10 and ring finger on the G string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 10 | 1 | D (1) |
| 3 (A) | 11 | 4 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (D) | 10 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (G) | 10 | 3 | F (♭3) |
AdvancedThe wide stretch between the index finger on the 4th string and the pinky on the 3rd string at the 10th fret is the hardest part.
Dm7♭5/F inversion
D minor 7th flat 5th is played in open position as 1 3 0 1: index finger on the E string at fret 1, ring finger on the A string at fret 3 and middle finger on the G string at fret 1. The D string rings open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (♭3) |
| 3 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (♭7) |
| 2 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 1 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (♭5) |
Dm7♭5/A♭ inversion
D minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 3rd fret as 4 5 3 5: middle finger on the E string at fret 4, ring finger on the A string at fret 5, index finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (A) | 5 | 3 | D (1) |
| 2 (D) | 3 | 1 | F (♭3) |
| 1 (G) | 5 | 4 | C (♭7) |
Dm7♭5/C inversion
D minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 6th fret as 8 8 6 7: ring finger on the E string at fret 8, pinky finger on the A string at fret 8, index finger on the D string at fret 6 and middle finger on the G string at fret 7.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8 | 3 | C (♭7) |
| 3 (A) | 8 | 4 | F (♭3) |
| 2 (D) | 6 | 1 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (G) | 7 | 2 | D (1) |
Why it sounds like that
D minor 7th flat 5th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between D and A♭ creates the chord's characteristic tension. Raising the ♭5 to a perfect 5th produces D minor 7th, the closest stable contrast.
What goes wrong with D minor 7th flat 5th?
- Letting the pinky collapse and mute the 2nd string.
- Fretting the 1st string with the ring finger too far from the fret, causing a buzz.
- Allowing the index finger to touch the 3rd string and deaden the D.
When to use it
D minor 7th flat 5th functions as the ii chord in C natural minor and the vii chord in E♭ major. Use it in minor-key jazz and blues lines where the half-diminished colour leads to a dominant. It pairs naturally with D minor and D 5th.
Changing to and from D minor 7th flat 5th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 9th fret gives C♯ minor 7th flat 5th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 11th fret gives E♭ minor 7th flat 5th.
Which voicing to use
The 10th-fret root position keeps D in the bass for a grounded sound. The Dm7♭5/F inversion at the 1st fret places the minor 3rd in the bass, creating a darker, less stable feel. Choose the Dm7♭5/A♭ inversion when the bass line needs to descend to A♭.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D minor 7th flat 5th written?
D minor 7th flat 5th is written as Dm7♭5, and it is also called Half Diminished Minor 7.
What is the difference between D minor 7th flat 5th and D diminished?
D minor 7th flat 5th adds a minor 7th to the diminished triad. D diminished has only the root, ♭3 and ♭5.
Why does D minor 7th flat 5th sound unstable?
The tritone between D and A♭ creates tension that wants to resolve. This instability makes the chord useful as a passing harmony.