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D 7th flat 5 chord on guitar (D7♭5)
Also called or written D7♭5, D, D Dominant 7th Flat 5 or D 7th ♭5
D 7th flat 5 contains D, F♯, A♭, and C. This advanced open shape requires a wide stretch from the open D string to the 2nd fret while muting two strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionD–F♯–A♭–CD7♭5×-×-0-1-1-2
- First inversionF♯–A♭–C–DD7♭5/F♯2-3-0-1-1-×
- Second inversionA♭–C–D–F♯D7♭5/A♭4-3-4-5-3-×
- Third inversionC–D–F♯–A♭D7♭5/C×-3-0-1-1-2
How do you play a D 7th flat 5 chord on guitar?
D 7th flat 5 is played in open position as × × 0 1 1 2: index finger on the G string at fret 1, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. The D string rings open. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (3) |
AdvancedThe hardest part is stretching the ring finger to the 2nd fret on the high e string while the index and middle fingers hold the 1st fret on the G and B strings.
5th fret
D 7th flat 5 is played at the 5th fret as × 5 6 5 7 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 5, ring finger on the D string at fret 6, middle finger on the G string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 7. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 1 | D (1) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 3 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 4 | F♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
9th fret
D 7th flat 5 is played at the 9th fret as 10 9 10 11 9 ×: barre your index finger across fret 9, middle finger on the low E string at fret 10, ring finger on the D string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 11. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 2 | D (1) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 3 | C (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 4 | F♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
10th fret
D 7th flat 5 is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 10 11 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 10, ring finger on the A string at fret 11, middle finger on the D string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 11. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 1 | D (1) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 3 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 4 | F♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
12th fret
D 7th flat 5 is played at the 12th fret as × × 12 13 13 14: index finger on the D string at fret 12, middle finger on the G string at fret 13, ring finger on the B string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 14. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 1 | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 2 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 3 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 14 | 4 | F♯ (3) |
Why it sounds like that
D 7th flat 5 is built from the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th from D to A♭ creates the chord's unstable sound. Compare it to D 7th, which has a perfect 5th instead.
What goes wrong with D 7th flat 5?
- Letting the low E string ring open adds an E, which is not a chord tone.
- Letting the A string ring open adds an A, which is not a chord tone.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the high e string mutes its fretted note.
When to use it
D 7th flat 5 works as a dominant chord in jazz and blues, often resolving to D major or D 5th. Its tense sound suits turnarounds and passing moments.
Changing to and from D 7th flat 5
- Move to <a href="/guitar/d-7-chord">D 7th</a> by sliding the ring finger from the 2nd fret to the 1st fret on the high e string while keeping the other fingers in place.
Which voicing to use
The open position keeps the bass note D on the 4th string. For a brighter sound, use the 5th fret shape, which also has D in the bass but higher register.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D 7th flat 5 written?
D 7th flat 5 is written as D7♭5 or D7b5. It may also be called Dominant 7th Flat 5 or 7th ♭5.
What is the difference between D 7th flat 5 and D 7th?
D 7th flat 5 has a diminished 5th (A♭) instead of the perfect 5th (A) in D 7th. This single note creates a more dissonant, unresolved sound.
Can D 7th flat 5 be used in place of D 7th?
Yes, but it adds tension. Use D 7th flat 5 when you want a more altered dominant sound, especially before resolving to a major chord.