CifraLab

Dm7b5 Guitar Chord

Dm7b5 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.

Back to Chord Dictionary
Shape 1/3
Chord shapes:(3 positions)
Dm7b5Guitar fingering diagram for Dm7b51234××123STRING6ª×5ª×4ªD3ªG#2ªC1ªF
View HD sheet

What sets Dm7b5 apart

Play Dm7b5 one string at a time and you hear D, F, Ab and C. D is the root, F the minor third, Ab the flat fifth and C the minor seventh. Said aloud, its notes are D, F, A flat and C.

From the low string to the high one you hear D, Ab, C and F. The lowest note is D on string 4 and the highest is F on string 1.

In Dm7b5, string 4 is played open and adds D. Strings 6 and 5 are not played. Every finger presses at fret 1. Besides the main one there are two more shapes, at frets 5 and 9.

Dm7 is one change away. String 3 moves from fret 1 to fret 2, bringing in A, the fifth of Dm7. Dm7b5 holds the whole Fm chord inside it, F, Ab and C. Going to F, two positions stay the same.

Dm7b5 shows up in two keys. In Eb major it is the viiø7 and in C minor the iiø7.

Chord Progressions

Explore recommended harmonic circles on CifraLab:

01C C - Am - Dm - G702G G - Em - Am - D703D D - Bm - Em - A704A A - F#m - Bm - E7
Music Theory & Formula

Component notes and harmonic structure (Dm7b5)

Formula: Half-Diminished (1 - ♭3 - ♭5 - ♭7)
Constituent chord intervals:

D 1F ♭3Ab ♭5C ♭7

Root Bass (Fundamental String)4th String (D) • Fret 0 (D)

String Control (Muted & Active)4 / 6 • 2 X Muted

3 Fretboard Positions

Other fretboard positions for Dm7b5:

01

Standard

Standard Position
4 / 6 stringsRoot: 4th String (D)
String Control (Muted & Active):
6th String (Low E)
×Muted
Do not play
5th String (A)
×Muted
Do not play
Root
4th String (D)
○Open
DDegree 1
3rd String (G)
Fret 1Finger 1
G#
2nd String (B)
Fret 1Finger 2
CDegree ♭7
1st String (High E)
Fret 1Finger 3
FDegree ♭3

Placement tip: Press: 3rd String (G) at fret 1 with your Index finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 1 with your Middle finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 1 with your Ring finger. Play open: 4th String (D). Don't play: 6th String (Low E), 5th String (A).

02

Fret 5

Inversion
4 / 6 stringsRoot: 5th String (A)
String Control (Muted & Active):
6th String (Low E)
×Muted
Do not play
Root
5th String (A)
Fret 5Finger 1
DDegree 1
4th String (D)
Fret 6Finger 3
G#
3rd String (G)
Fret 5Finger 2
CDegree ♭7
2nd String (B)
Fret 6Finger 4
FDegree ♭3
1st String (High E)
×Muted
Do not play

Placement tip: Press: 5th String (A) at fret 5 with your Index finger, 4th String (D) at fret 6 with your Ring finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 5 with your Middle finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 6 with your Pinky finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E), 1st String (High E).

03

Barre 10

Inversion
4 / 6 stringsRoot: 6th String (Low E)
String Control (Muted & Active):
Root
6th String (Low E)
Fret 10Finger 2
DDegree 1
5th String (A)
×Muted
Do not play
4th String (D)
Fret 10Finger 3
CDegree ♭7
3rd String (G)
Fret 10Finger 4
FDegree ♭3
2nd String (B)
Fret 9Finger 1
G#
1st String (High E)
×Muted
Do not play

Placement tip: Press: 6th String (Low E) at fret 10 with your Middle finger, 4th String (D) at fret 10 with your Ring finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 10 with your Pinky finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 9 with your Index finger. Don't play: 5th String (A), 1st String (High E).

Biomechanics & Posture

Ergonomic tips to play without tension or fatigue (Dm7b5)

Standard Position

The shape in numbers

ItemIn this chord
Fretsfret 1
Fretting fingers3
Open4th
Muted6th and 5th

What to check

The open 4th string sits next to a fretting finger.

What every chord shares is in the fingering reading.

Transitions & Pivot Fingers

Most common chord transitions from Dm7b5

Listen: Dm7b5 → F · Bb · A7

  1. Dm7b5
  2. F
  3. Dm7b5
  4. Bb
  5. Dm7b5
  6. A7
Dm7b5 → F01
Pivot / Anchor Finger:2 shared positions
Stay in place
  • string 2, fret 1
  • string 1, fret 1
Move
  • string 6, fret 1
  • string 5, fret 3
  • string 4, fret 3
  • string 3, fret 2
Dm7b5 → Bb02
Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 shared position
Stay in place
  • string 1, fret 1
Move
  • string 5, fret 1
  • string 4, fret 3
  • string 3, fret 3
  • string 2, fret 3
Dm7b5 → A703
Pivot / Anchor Finger:Full shape change

No finger is shared: place the bass on string 4 first, then the rest of the shape.

Move
  • finger 1: string 4, fret 2
  • finger 2: string 2, fret 2

Dm7b5 in every key

Dm7b5 sits in the scale of 2 keys.

Main shape at a glance

Difficulty
2/5
Highest fret
1
Frets the hand covers
1
Barre
No
Strings that ring
4/6
Fretting fingers
3

Major keys

Minor keys

Dm7b5 on other instruments

PianoThe same notes on the keyboard.All togetherHear guitar, piano, bass and violin together.
Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about the chord (Dm7b5)

The questions that come up most when playing this chord

Which strings are played and which are muted in the Dm7b5 chord?

To play the Dm7b5 chord on guitar, only 4 strings are played, from string 4 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.

What is the root bass note of the Dm7b5 chord and on which string is it located?

The primary bass note of the Dm7b5 chord is its root note: D. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 4 at fret 0.

When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.

What notes make up the Dm7b5 chord and what is its formula?

The Dm7b5 chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - ♭5 - ♭7 formula (Half-Diminished). Its constituent pitches are D, F, Ab, C.

How do you prevent the Dm7b5 chord from buzzing or sounding muted?

To prevent the Dm7b5 chord from buzzing or sounding muted, press the strings using the tips of your fingers at a strict 90-degree hammer angle. Position each finger immediately behind the fret wire with your thumb centered behind the neck.

Study sheet · High resolution

Official Dm7b5 chord diagram

Dm7b5 guitar chord diagram with fingering for fingers 1 to 4
Download HD sheet

Thanks for studying with CifraLab

If this chord helped you, support us with a coffee on Ko-fi.

Buy a coffee

Other chords in the D family:

Chord D Chord Db Chord Dm Chord D7 Chord Db7 Chord Dmaj7 Chord Dbmaj7 Chord Dm7