Master the D 7b5 Guitar Chord with Interactive Learning

Four notes form the D7b5 chord, D seventh flat five: D, F#, Ab and C. The F# is the major third, the Ab is the lowered fifth and the C is the minor seventh.

Its three listed voicings sit at the 5th fret and higher, and one is a barre. The two tritones inside the chord, D to Ab and F# to C, are what make it sound so tense. Every note fits the D whole-tone scale, which is built entirely of whole steps.

The player labels each note of every shape, so the Ab is easy to spot.

D 7th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as D7b5, D7(b5) or D7-5.

Notes in the D 7b5 chord:

D F# Ab C

Chord formula for the Dominant Seventh Flat five chord:

Formula: 1 3 b5 b7

D 7b5 Chord Interactive Fretboard

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Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

D 7b5 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the A and G strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 6 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the B string

Position 2 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the B string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 10 of the high E string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 11 of the G string

Position 3 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the low E string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the A string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 11 of the G string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 7b5 | D 7b5 | E 7b5 | F 7b5 | G 7b5 | A 7b5 | B 7b5 | C#7b5 | D#7b5 | F#7b5 | G#7b5 | A#7b5 | Ab7b5 | Bb7b5 | Db7b5 | Eb7b5 | Gb7b5

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

Which notes spell D7b5?

D7b5 is D, F#, Ab and C. The Ab is the lowered fifth, a semitone under the A of D7.

What does the b5 do in D seventh flat five?

It lowers the A to Ab, a diminished fifth over D. That makes a tritone with the root, adding to the tritone between F# and C.

Which scale fits D7b5?

The D whole-tone scale is D, E, F#, G#, A# and C. All four chord pitches are in it, with the chord's Ab written as G#.

How many D7b5 voicings can I play?

There are 3 voicings, between fret 5 and fret 11. One is a barre voicing and none uses an open string.

How is D7b5 different from D7?

D7 has D, F#, A and C. D7b5 lowers the A to Ab and leaves the other three notes unchanged.