half-diminished seventh chord
D♯, F♯, A and C♯
- Root
- D♯
- Minor third
- F♯
- Diminished fifth
- A
- Minor seventh
- C♯
Formula
1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 (3, 6, 10 half steps above D♯)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | D♯ | F♯ | A | C♯ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
D♯m7♭5 inversions
D♯m7♭5 has 3 inversions. Each one keeps the same notes and puts a different one at the bottom, so your hand can stay close to the chord before or after it.
D♯m7♭5
Root position
| Notes | D♯ | F♯ | A | C♯ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
D♯m7♭5/F♯
First inversion
| Notes | F♯ | A | C♯ | D♯ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
D♯m7♭5/A
Second inversion
| Notes | A | C♯ | D♯ | F♯ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
D♯m7♭5/C♯
Third inversion
| Notes | C♯ | D♯ | F♯ | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with D♯m7♭5
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. D♯m7♭5 appears as:
- viiø7 in E major
- iiø7 in C♯ minor
How D♯m7♭5 is built
D♯ is the root, F♯ the minor third, A the diminished fifth and C♯ the minor seventh.
A half-diminished seventh, written m7♭5 or ø7, is a diminished chord plus the minor seventh, 10 half steps above the root. It is the chord on the seventh note of a major key and on the second note of a minor key.
Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of D♯m7♭5 are D, F, A, C. That is why it is spelled D♯, F♯, A and C♯.
Find D♯m7♭5 yourself
Without looking at the diagrams, find the chord on the keyboard, then each inversion. Saying the notes out loud as you tap them helps them stick.
Step 1 of 4
Tap the notes of D♯m7♭5, in any octave and any order.
Practice D♯m7♭5 in real music
MasterPiano gives you new music to read at your level and listens as you play, through a MIDI keyboard or your device's microphone, marking each note right or wrong.
Start freeQuestions
What notes are in the D♯m7♭5 chord?
D♯m7♭5 has four notes: D♯, F♯, A and C♯. D♯ is the root, F♯ the minor third, A the diminished fifth and C♯ the minor seventh.
What fingers do you use for D♯m7♭5 on piano?
In root position, play D♯, F♯, A and C♯ with right hand fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 (thumb, index finger, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3, 2 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.
What are the inversions of D♯m7♭5?
D♯m7♭5 has 3 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (D♯m7♭5/F♯): F♯, A, C♯ and D♯. Second inversion (D♯m7♭5/A): A, C♯, D♯ and F♯. Third inversion (D♯m7♭5/C♯): C♯, D♯, F♯ and A.
What key is D♯m7♭5 in?
D♯m7♭5 appears as viiø7 in E major and iiø7 in C♯ minor.