Db Half-diminished
Dbm7b5
Notes
Db · Fb · Abb · Cb
Intervals
- RootDb (1P)
- Minor 3rdFb (3m)
- Diminished 5thAbb (5d)
- Minor 7thCb (7m)
Fretboard
On the fretboard, E represents Fb, Ab represents Abb, and B represents Cb.
Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.
About
The D♭ half-diminished (D♭–F♭–A♭♭–C♭), also written D♭ø7, is the naturally occurring chord on the seventh degree of a major scale and on the second degree of a natural minor scale. Its primary role in jazz is as the ii chord in a minor ii–V–i: D♭m7♭5 → G♭7 → C♭m. The A♭♭ is the defining color tone — without it, the chord collapses to a plain D♭m7. The 3rd and ♭7 together establish the minor seventh quality. On guitar, the fifth is essential and should not be omitted, since the ♭5 is precisely what distinguishes this chord. Compared to D♭dim7, m7♭5 is more grounded due to the natural (rather than doubly-flatted) seventh, giving it a somber but less frantic character.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- D♭ Blues (deg 1)
- D♭ Minor Pentatonic (deg 1)
- D♭ Natural Minor (I)
- A Major (III)
- A♭ Diminished (deg 4)
- A♭ Harmonic Minor (IV)
- A♭ Natural Minor (IV)
- B Diminished (deg 2)
- B Major (II)
- B Melodic Minor (II)
- D Diminished (deg 8)
- E Major (VI)
- E Major Pentatonic (deg 5)
- F Diminished (deg 6)
- F♯ Natural Minor (V)
- D♭ Dorian (I)
- D♭ Locrian (I)
- D♭ Phrygian (I)
- A Lydian (III)
- A♭ Locrian (IV)
- A♭ Phrygian (IV)
- B Dorian (II)
- B Mixolydian (II)
- B♭ Locrian (III)
- D Lydian (VII)
- E Lydian (VI)
- E Mixolydian (VI)
- E♭ Locrian (VII)
- E♭ Phrygian (VII)
- F♯ Dorian (V)
- F♯ Mixolydian (V)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. Roman numeral marks the chord root’s position in the scale; dashed badges aren’t linked yet.