Learn › D Half-Diminished Chord on Piano (Dm7b5)

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D Half-Diminished Chord on Piano (Dm7b5)

To play Dm7b5 on the piano, press D, F, Ab, C together: root, minor third, flat fifth and minor seventh. Take Ddim and add C. Here you will find its inversions, both hands and the chords it belongs with.

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Dm7b5 D F Ab C

Where Dm7b5 goes

Dm7b5 is the iiø7 of C minor and the viiø7 of Eb major.
In a minor ii-V-i it opens the cadence: Dm7b5 → G7 → Cm.
Dm7b5 has the same notes as Fm6 (F Ab C D): with D in the bass it is Dm7b5, with F in the bass it is Fm6.

ii-V-i: Dm7b5 → G7 → Cm

Dm7b5 inversions on the keyboard

In the 3rd inversion C is the lowest note: the seventh in the bass.

Dm7b5 D F Ab C

Root position: D F Ab C

Dm7b5 F Ab C D

1st inversion: F Ab C D

Dm7b5 Ab C D F

2nd inversion: Ab C D F

Dm7b5 C D F Ab

3rd inversion: C D F Ab

Learning Dm7b5 step by step

Start in root position: D, F, Ab, C, four times, eyes on the symbol.
Walk up through the inversions (F Ab C D, Ab C D F, C D F Ab) without lifting the whole hand.
Play it in its ii-V-I, Dm7b5 → G7 → Cm, four beats per chord.
Then mix it with chords you already know, in an order you do not choose: that is where it sticks.

A few minutes every day on Dm7b5 beat one long session a week.

Four 7th chords on D

Play the four in a row and listen to each colour.

Chord	Notes	What changes
D7	D F# A C	major 3rd, minor 7th
Dmaj7	D F# A C#	major 3rd, major 7th
Dm7	D F A C	minor 3rd, minor 7th
Dm7b5	D F Ab C	minor 3rd, flat 5th, minor 7th
Ddim7	D F Ab Cb	minor 3rd, flat 5th, 7th one key lower again

Playing Dm7b5 with each hand

Hand	D	F	Ab	C
Right hand	1 (thumb)	2	3	5 (little)
Left hand	5 (little)	3	2	1 (thumb)

Land all four fingers at once. If C is quieter, the little finger is too flat.

A three-note Dm7b5

Dm7b5 D Ab C

Root, flat fifth, seventh: D Ab C. It already sounds like Dm7b5 and moves smoothly to the next chord.

ChordRunner showing a chord block while hands play the piano

Practise Dm7b5 by playing

ChordRunner sends Dm7b5 at you between other chords and checks every note you play. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.

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All piano chords · Piano chord chart

Common questions

What is the difference between Dm7b5 and Ddim?

Dm7b5 adds one note to the Ddim triad: C, the minor seventh. That fourth note is what makes it a seventh chord.

Can I play Dm7b5 with three notes?

Yes. Keep root, flat fifth and seventh, D Ab C, and leave out the third. The flat fifth is what makes it half-diminished.

Where does Dm7b5 go?

Dm7b5 is the iiø7 of C minor and the viiø7 of Eb major. In a minor ii-V-i it opens the cadence: Dm7b5 → G7 → Cm.

Can I practise Dm7b5 with a MIDI keyboard?

Yes. In ChordRunner a USB MIDI keyboard is detected automatically, and an acoustic piano works through the microphone. Dm7b5 counts in any inversion, as long as D, F, Ab, C sound together.

Your instrument is the controller.

ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.

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D Half-Diminished Chord on Piano (Dm7b5)

Where Dm7b5 goes

Dm7b5 inversions on the keyboard

Learning Dm7b5 step by step

Four 7th chords on D

Playing Dm7b5 with each hand

A three-note Dm7b5

Practise Dm7b5 by playing

Common questions

What is the difference between Dm7b5 and Ddim?

Can I play Dm7b5 with three notes?

Where does Dm7b5 go?

Can I practise Dm7b5 with a MIDI keyboard?

Your instrument is the controller.

Keep learning

Piano Chord Chart: Every Chord in All 12 Keys

D7 Chord on Piano (D Dominant 7th)

D Minor 7th Chord on Piano (Dm7)

D Major 7th Chord on Piano (Dmaj7)

D Diminished 7th Chord on Piano (Ddim7)

Seventh Chords: The 5 Types Explained