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Guitar chords · Half-diminished 7th

D♯m7♭5 chord on guitar (D#m7b5)

D♯m7♭5 (D♯ 7th) has four notes: D♯, F♯, A and C♯, the , ♭3, ♭5 and ♭7.

Shapes

How to play D♯m7♭5

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

D♯m7♭5 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 6 or the E shape at fret 11. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • A shape · fret 6

    6fr××R♭5♭7♭3D♯AC♯F♯
  • E shape · fret 11

    10fr××R♭7♭3♭5D♯C♯F♯A
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes D♯m7♭5 half-diminished 7th

A is a with a minor 7th added, also written ø7. It is the vii chord of a major key with sevenths, and the ii chord of a minor key, where it leads into V in a minor ii–V–i.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The ♭3rd, the ♭5th and the ♭7th make D♯m7♭5 a .

  1. D♯Rroot
  2. F♯♭3essential
  3. A♭5essential
  4. C♯♭7essential
EADGBE0135791215D♯D♯D♯D♯D♯D♯D♯F♯AC♯F♯AC♯F♯AF♯AC♯AC♯F♯AC♯F♯AC♯F♯AC♯F♯
  • D♯, the root
  • Other chord tones

D♯m7♭5 usually leads to G♯7 and then C♯m: the iiø7–V7–i of C♯ minor.

D♯m7♭5 and E♭m7♭5 are the same chord with two names: same , same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.

Keys

Keys with D♯m7♭5

D♯m7♭5 belongs to two keys: E major (viiø7) and C♯ minor (iiø7).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Progressions

Progressions with D♯m7♭5

Common progressions that use D♯m7♭5, each in a key that spells it D♯m7♭5. The outlined chord is D♯m7♭5.

  • Minor ii–V–i in C♯ minor

    iiø7 – V7 – i7

    1. D♯m7♭5
    2. G♯7
    3. C♯m7

    Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.

    Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves

Slash chords

D♯m7♭5 over another bass note

A keeps D♯m7♭5 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • D♯m7♭5/F♯

    D♯m7♭5 with its ♭3rd, F♯, in the bass: the first inversion.

  • D♯m7♭5/A

    D♯m7♭5 with its ♭5th, A, in the bass: the second inversion.

  • D♯m7♭5/C♯

    D♯m7♭5 with its ♭7th, C♯, in the bass: the third inversion.

Questions

D♯m7♭5, in short

What notes are in the D♯m7♭5 chord?
D♯m7♭5 (D♯ 7th) has four notes: D♯, F♯, A and C♯, the , ♭3, ♭5 and ♭7.
How do you play D♯m7♭5 on guitar?
D♯m7♭5 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 6 or the E shape at fret 11.
What key is D♯m7♭5 in?
D♯m7♭5 belongs to two keys: E major (viiø7) and C♯ minor (iiø7).
Is D♯m7♭5 the same as E♭m7♭5?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. D♯m7♭5 is the spelling in E major and C♯ minor. No key on the circle spells it E♭m7♭5, so you will rarely see that name.
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