Build the sound
Play D – F – A♭ – C individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · Dm7♭5 · Guitar
Dm7♭5 voicings on guitar
Dm7♭5 is spelled D – F – A♭ – C (1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7) — the iiø chord of a minor ii–V–i. Here are 5 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell, rootless a, rootless b. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
5 ways to play Dm7♭5.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Drop 2
A♭ · D · F · CTake the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings E-A-D-G, frets 4-5-3-5 (position 1).
Drop 3
F · D · A♭ · CDrop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings E-A-G-B, frets 1-5-1-1 (position 1).
Shell (1–7–3)
D · C · FRoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings A-G-B, frets 5-5-6 (position 2).
Rootless A (3–5–7–9)
F · A♭ · C · EBill Evans-style left-hand voicing: the third on the bottom, the ninth on top, the bass player supplies the root. Strings A-D-G-B, frets 8-6-5-5 (position 4).
Rootless B (7–9–3–5)
C · E · F · A♭The companion rootless voicing with the seventh on the bottom. Alternate A and B so the top voice moves by step through a ii–V–I. Strings A-D-B-e, frets 3-2-6-4 (position 2).
Your next 10 minutes
Make D Half-diminished (m7♭5) part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of Dm7♭5. Notice which note is highest in each. Repeat the two shapes with the smallest comfortable hand movement, leaving a beat of silence between them.
Comp with space
Play Dm7♭5 on beats 2 and 4 at 60 bpm for four bars, then on the “and” of beat 2 for four bars. Keep the same notes while changing the rhythm. Mute unused strings and test each fretted note for buzz.
Listen for this: The chord tones are D, F, A♭, C. the iiø chord of a minor ii–V–i. A fuller voicing is not automatically better: leave room for the melody and bass.
Understand the sound
Dm7♭5: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives Dm7♭5 its identity?
Compare the flat fifth with a perfect fifth while keeping the other notes fixed. That one change turns a minor seventh into a half-diminished chord.
Here the third is F, and degree ♭7 is C. Play D in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Choose a useful voicing
Start with the smallest displayed shape you can play cleanly. Move its highest note into a comfortable register and listen for a clear melody above the chord.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with D on string 5, fret 5. The next note F is on string 5, fret 8. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: D · F · A♭ · C. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
Behind the voicings
Every Dm7♭5 chord tone on the fretboard.
Reference
Dm7♭5 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | unison |
| ♭3 | F | minor 3rd |
| ♭5 | A♭ | diminished 5th |
| ♭7 | C | minor 7th |
Arpeggio: Dm7♭5 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: D Locrian.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp Dm7♭5 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
Dm7♭5 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in Dm7♭5?
D, F, A♭, C — chord tones 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7. Rootless voicings add the 9th, E, and leave the root to the bass.
What is the easiest Dm7♭5 voicing on guitar?
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings A, G, B: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like Dm7♭5.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing D F A♭ C and drop the second note from the top an octave: A♭ – D – F – C. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does Dm7♭5 appear?
Dm7♭5 is the iiø chord of a minor ii–V–i. Its character is dark, unstable, leading.
Keep going
Half-diminished (m7♭5) voicings in every other key.
Same chord on piano · Half-diminished (m7♭5) hub.
Other chords from D