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D minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar (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 open voicing uses a three-string barre at the 1st fret, requiring even pressure.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionD–F–A♭–CDm7♭5×-×-0-1-1-1
- First inversionF–A♭–C–DDm7♭5/F1-3-0-1-1-×
- Second inversionA♭–C–D–FDm7♭5/A♭4-3-3-5-3-4
- Third inversionC–D–F–A♭Dm7♭5/C×-3-0-1-1-1
How do you play a D minor 7th flat 5th chord on guitar?
D minor 7th flat 5th is played in open position as × × 0 1 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1. 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 (barre) | A♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (♭3) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires a three-string barre at the 1st fret while keeping the 4th string open.
3rd fret
D minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 3rd fret as × 5 3 5 3 4: barre your index finger across fret 3, ring finger on the A string at fret 5, pinky finger on the G string at fret 5 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 3 | D (1) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 4 | C (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (♭5) |
5th fret
D minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 5th fret as × 5 6 5 6 ×: 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 6. 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) | 6 | 4 | F (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
10th fret
D minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 10 10 × ×: index finger on the low 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. 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 | 4 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 3 | F (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
12th fret
D minor 7th flat 5th is played at the 12th fret as × × 12 13 13 13: 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 13. 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) | 13 | 4 | F (♭3) |
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 half-diminished sound. Compare it to D minor 7th, which has a perfect 5th instead.
What goes wrong with D minor 7th flat 5th?
- Letting the 5th string ring out, which adds an A that is not part of the chord.
- Not pressing the barre evenly, causing the 1st string to buzz.
When to use it
D minor 7th flat 5th functions as the ii chord in C natural minor, leading to G7 and then C minor. Its somber tone suits classical-influenced pieces and dark folk.
Changing to and from D minor 7th flat 5th
- Move to D minor 7th by lifting the barre and placing your index finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret, and your middle finger on the 1st string, 1st fret.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing has the root D in the bass, while the 3rd fret position offers a movable shape with a barre. The 10th fret position provides a higher, more cutting sound.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D minor 7th flat 5th written?
D minor 7th flat 5th is written as Dm7♭5 or D half-diminished. The symbol D alone is not used for this chord.
What is the difference between D minor 7th flat 5th and D diminished?
Its verified note order explains the sound without relying on outside harmony. The half-diminished chord is less dissonant.
Why are the 6th and 5th strings muted in the open voicing?
The open 6th string is E and the open 5th string is A. Neither of which is a chord tone of D minor 7th flat 5th. Muting them keeps the bass note D clear.