Dm7♭5 chord on piano
Dm7♭5 is D, F, A♭ and C. You'll find D between the two black keys (a white key). Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
root position · D–F–A♭–C · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- D · F · A♭ · C
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
How to play Dm7♭5 on piano
Start on D, count 3 half steps up to F, 3 half steps up to A♭ then 4 half steps up to C. Those 4 keys are Dm7♭5.
- Right hand: 1 on D, 2 on F, 3 on A♭ and 5 on C.
- Left hand: 5 on D, 3 on F, 2 on A♭ and 1 on C.
- On the keyboard it's white, white, black and white keys, the same pattern as Em7♭5 and Am7♭5, so your hand shape carries over.
Dm7♭5 inversions
- root position: D–F–A♭–C. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: F–A♭–C–D, with F at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: A♭–C–D–F (A♭ in the bass). Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: C–D–F–A♭, C lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
Inversions keep the same notes and change which one is lowest. Moving between chords, pick the inversion that keeps your hand closest to where it already is.
Dm7♭5 chord changes
The chords Dm7♭5 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.
- G7 (the iiø7 of a minor key heads to V7): Dm7♭5 to G7: play G7 in 2nd inversion (D–F–G–B) and D and F stay under the same fingers, while A♭ moves down to G and C down to B. G7 on piano
- E♭maj7 (I in E♭ major): Dm7♭5 to E♭maj7: play E♭maj7 in 3rd inversion (D–E♭–G–B♭) and D stays under the same finger, while F moves down to E♭, A♭ down to G and C down to B♭. E♭maj7 on piano
- Gm7 (iii in E♭ major): Dm7♭5 to Gm7: play Gm7 in 2nd inversion (D–F–G–B♭) and D and F stay under the same fingers, while A♭ moves down to G and C down to B♭. Gm7 on piano
Dm7♭5 is a half-diminished chord (minor seventh flat five). Dm7♭5 is the ii chord of a minor key, the first step of a minor ii–V–i. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
Getting Dm7♭5 under your fingers
Roll the chord up and back down, D, F, A♭, C, A♭, F, D, before playing it as a block. Next, walk up through D–F–A♭–C → F–A♭–C–D → A♭–C–D–F → C–D–F–A♭ without lifting your eyes to your hand.
The keys of Dm7♭5
Dm7♭5 is a half-diminished chord, 1–♭3–♭5–♭7 from D. Root position, from the bottom: how Dm7♭5 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| F | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | minor third |
| A♭ | black key | RH 3 · LH 2 | diminished fifth |
| C | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | minor seventh |
Where Dm7♭5 shows up
Dm7♭5 on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: Dm7♭5 on guitar and Dm7♭5 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Related D chords on piano
Other half-diminished chords
Dm7♭5 on piano: questions
What notes are in Dm7♭5 on piano?
D, F, A♭ and C: D (white key), F (white key), A♭ (black key) and C (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play Dm7♭5 on piano?
Press D, F, A♭ and C together (1 black, 3 white). Right hand: 1 on D, 2 on F, 3 on A♭ and 5 on C.
What are the inversions of Dm7♭5?
1st inversion (F–A♭–C–D), 2nd inversion (A♭–C–D–F) and 3rd inversion (C–D–F–A♭), after root position (D–F–A♭–C). Only the lowest note changes.
What does Dm7♭5 look like on the keyboard?
white, white, black and white keys, the same pattern as Em7♭5 and Am7♭5, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Every shape above plays only D, F, A♭ and C, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.