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D 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele (D7♭5)
Also called or written D7♭5, D, D Dominant 7th Flat 5 or D 7th ♭5
D 7th flat 5 is built from D, F♯, A♭, and C. The 7th fret shape stacks three fingers in a row before the pinky reaches fret 9.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionD–F♯–A♭–CD7♭51-2-2-3
- First inversionF♯–A♭–C–DD7♭5/F♯5-6-4-5
- Second inversionA♭–C–D–F♯D7♭5/A♭7-8-8-9
- Third inversionC–D–F♯–A♭D7♭5/C11-12-10-11
How do you play a D 7th flat 5 chord on ukulele?
D 7th flat 5 is played at the 7th fret as 7 8 8 9: index finger on the G string at fret 7, middle finger on the C string at fret 8, ring finger on the E string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7 | 1 | D (1) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 2 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 8 | 3 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 9 | 4 | F♯ (3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 9 cleanly while the ring finger holds fret 8 on the E string.
D7♭5/C inversion
D 7th flat 5 is played at the 10th fret as 11 12 10 11: middle finger on the G string at fret 11, pinky finger on the C string at fret 12, index finger on the E string at fret 10 and ring finger on the A string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 11 | 2 | F♯ (3) |
| 3 (C) | 12 | 4 | C (♭7) |
| 2 (E) | 10 | 1 | D (1) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 3 | A♭ (♭5) |
1st fret
D 7th flat 5 is played at the 1st fret as 1 2 2 3: index finger on the G string at fret 1, middle finger on the C string at fret 2, ring finger on the E string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 2 | D (1) |
| 2 (E) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (3) |
| 1 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (♭7) |
D7♭5/F♯ inversion
D 7th flat 5 is played at the 4th fret as 5 6 4 5: middle finger on the G string at fret 5, pinky finger on the C string at fret 6, index finger on the E string at fret 4 and ring finger on the A string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 5 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 6 | 4 | F♯ (3) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 1 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 5 | 3 | D (1) |
Why it sounds like that
D 7th flat 5 uses the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between D and A♭ gives the chord its tense color. Compare it to D 7th, which raises that A♭ to A.
What goes wrong with D 7th flat 5?
- Letting the pinky flatten onto the A string, which buzzes the note.
- Pressing the ring finger too far across, deadening the C string.
- Strumming before the middle finger is fully seated on the C string.
When to use it
D 7th flat 5 works as a tense dominant in D major, especially moving to D major or D 5th. Its altered fifth suits jazz and funk lines where a plain D 7th sounds too settled.
Changing to and from D 7th flat 5
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 5th fret gives C 7th flat 5.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 8th fret gives E♭ 7th flat 5.
Which voicing to use
The 7th fret position keeps D in the bass for a root-position sound. The D7♭5/F♯ inversion at the 11th fret puts the major third in the bass, while the D7♭5/A♭ inversion at the 1st fret emphasizes the ♭5.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D 7th flat 5 written?
D 7th flat 5 is written as D7♭5 or D. The symbol D7♭5 is the most common.
What is the difference between D 7th flat 5 and D 7th?
D 7th flat 5 lowers the fifth from A to A♭, creating a diminished fifth. D 7th keeps the perfect fifth A.
Why does D 7th flat 5 sound unstable?
The diminished fifth between D and A♭ is a tritone, which wants to resolve. This tension makes the chord useful before a tonic.