D Half-Diminished (Dm7b5) Chord Guitar

A compact half-diminished on the top strings — the ii of C minor.

A half-diminished seventh (1-♭3-♭5-♭7) on the top four strings.
A small index barre keeps it bright and easy to fret.
The ii chord of C minor, leading through G7 to Cm.
Classic half-diminished tension in a compact voicing.

Root3rd5th7th

Not played

E6th string

FretMuted

Finger—

Not played

A5th string

FretMuted

Finger—

Root

DBass4th string

FretOpen

Finger—

5th

G3rd string

Fret1

Finger1 index

7th

B2nd string

Fret1

Finger1 index

3rd

e1st string

Fret1

Finger1 index

NotesD – G# – C – F

Formula1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7

Voicingxx0111

TonesD×1·F×1·G#×1·C×1

Hear It For Yourself

This chord sounds even better than it looks.

Load D Half-Diminished (Dm7b5) onto an interactive fretboard, hear every note, and build it into a progression.

Play Dm7b5 in the Studio →

Dm7b5 is a premium chord — opening it in the Studio prompts a subscription to unlock full access.

Questions about D Half-Diminished (Dm7b5)

What notes are in a D Half-Diminished (Dm7b5) chord?

A D Half-Diminished (Dm7b5) chord contains the notes D, G#, C, F. It is built from the half-diminished formula 1 - ♭3 - ♭5 - ♭7, with D as the root.

Why is Dm7b5 called half-diminished?

Because it's halfway between a minor 7th and a fully diminished 7th. It has the diminished triad (D-F-A♭) of a diminished chord, but its seventh is a minor 7th (C) rather than a diminished 7th. That single softened note is what makes it 'half' diminished.

Embed this chord

Add the D Half-Diminished (Dm7b5) diagram to your own site — paste this snippet where you want it to appear.

D Half-Diminished (Dm7b5) Chord Guitar

This chord sounds even better than it looks.

Questions about D Half-Diminished (Dm7b5)

What notes are in a D Half-Diminished (Dm7b5) chord?

Why is Dm7b5 called half-diminished?

Related chords

Embed this chord