Dm7♭5
D Half-Diminished
1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7

Notes in Dm7♭5

DR
F♭3
A♭♭5
C♭7

The Dm7♭5 chord contains 4 notes: D, F, A♭, C

Intervals

IntervalSemitonesNoteFunction
R0DRoot
♭33FMinor 3rd
♭56A♭Diminished 5th
♭710CMinor 7th

About D Half-Diminished Chords

Half-diminished chords (minor 7 flat 5) combine a diminished triad with a minor 7th. They serve as the ii chord in minor key ii-V-i progressions, making them essential for jazz musicians. The sound is dark but more stable than fully diminished.

Compatible Scales & Modes

These scales contain all the notes of Dm7♭5 and can be used for soloing, improvising, and writing melodies over this chord.

D Locrian
The natural mode for half-diminished chords — every chord tone is a scale tone.
D Locrian ♯2
A common jazz alternative — the natural 2nd adds melodic possibilities.

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