D♯m7♭5 chord on guitar

D♯m7♭5 is D♯, F♯, A and C♯. The usual shape is x-x-1-2-2-2. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

How to play D♯m7♭5 on guitar

Shape 1, x-x-1-2-2-2, reading from the low E string on the left:

1. Put your index finger on the D string at the 1st fret, which is D♯.
2. Put your middle finger on the G string at the 2nd fret, which is A.
3. Put your ring finger on the B string at the 2nd fret, which is C♯.
4. Put your pinky finger on the high E string at the 2nd fret, which is F♯.
5. Skip the low E and A strings and begin the strum from the D string.

• This shape uses your pinky. It feels weak at first; press with the tip and let the finger stay curved.
• With four strings sounding, a shorter strum works best: start on the first played string and stop at the high E.

Other ways to play D♯m7♭5

• 11-x-11-11-10-x: movable shape at the 10th fret, medium. The root is on the low E string, so you can slide this shape to play any half-diminished chord.
• x-6-7-6-7-x: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. This is the open Am7♭5 shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
• x-x-13-14-14-14: movable shape at the 13th fret, medium. A small shape for quick changes and a lighter sound.

Moving between D♯m7♭5 and its neighbours

These are the changes you'll meet most often with D♯m7♭5, using the first shape of each chord.

• A♭7 (the iiø7 of a minor key heads to V7): D♯m7♭5 (x-x-1-2-2-2) to A♭7 (4-6-4-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 5th fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 6th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. The two chords share D♯ and F♯, which is why the change sounds smooth. A♭7 on guitar
• Emaj7 (I in E major): D♯m7♭5 (x-x-1-2-2-2) to Emaj7 (0-2-1-1-0-0): your index finger stays put, move the middle finger to the G string, 1st fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 2nd fret. Shared note: D♯. Emaj7 on guitar
• G♯m7 (iii in E major): D♯m7♭5 (x-x-1-2-2-2) to G♯m7 (4-6-4-4-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 6th fret. Shared notes: D♯ and F♯. G♯m7 on guitar

D♯m7♭5 is a half-diminished chord (minor seventh flat five). D♯m7♭5 is the ii chord of a minor key, the first step of a minor ii–V–i. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Getting D♯m7♭5 under your fingers

Before strumming, play x-x-1-2-2-2 note by note: D♯ then A then C♯ then F♯. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-x-1-2-2-2 and 11-x-11-11-10-x, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Written E♭m7♭5, it's the same chord with the same frets.

Keys and progressions with D♯m7♭5

• viiø7 in E major
• iiø7 in C♯ minor

D♯m7♭5 on piano and ukulele

D♯m7♭5 on piano and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Close to D♯m7♭5

• D♯dim
• E♭m7
• D♯dim7
• E♭m6

Other half-diminished chords

• Cm7♭5
• C♯m7♭5
• Dm7♭5
• Em7♭5
• Fm7♭5
• F♯m7♭5
• Gm7♭5
• G♯m7♭5
• Am7♭5
• B♭m7♭5
• Bm7♭5

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes D♯, F♯, A and C♯ and tested automatically. Updated September 2026. Print this chord