D half-diminished seventh

Dø7

Also written · Dm7(♭5) · D−7♭5 · Dm7b5

NotesD · F · A♭ · C
Formula1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7
D1F♭3C♭7A♭♭5
Root position

The ii chord of a minor key: Dø7 → G7(♭9)Cm is the minor ii–V–i in C minor. It is also the vii chord of E♭ major, and it has the same notes as Fm6.

How pianists voice Dø7

Nobody plays a jazz chord in root position. These are the shapes that actually get played — the same ones Cadenza shows when you play the chord.

Shell Left hand

D1F♭3C♭7

1 · ♭3 · ♭7 — root, 3rd and 7th: the three notes that say what the chord is. Left hand, low; everything else is colour.

Rootless A From the 3rd

F♭3C♭7E9A♭♭5

♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7 · 9 — no root: the bass player has it. The left-hand voicing of modern jazz piano. Without D underneath, the same keys read as Fm(maj7) — the bass turns them into Dø7.

Rootless B From the 7th

C♭7E9F♭3A♭♭5

♭7 · 9 · ♭3 · ♭5 — the other half of the pair. A and B alternate through a ii–V–I so the hand barely moves.

Drop 2 Two hands

D1F♭3C♭7A♭♭5

♭5 · 1 · ♭3 · ♭7 — close position with the second voice from the top dropped an octave: wider, warmer, the standard for chord melody.

Dø7 inversions

The same 4 notes with a different one in the bass. Each inversion is written as a slash chord.

Root position Dø7

D1F♭3C♭7A♭♭5

Root at the bottom, stacked in 3rds: 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7.

1st inversion Dø7/F

F♭3C♭7D1A♭♭5

F (the ♭3) in the bass: ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭7 · 1.

2nd inversion Dø7/A♭

C♭7D1F♭3A♭♭5

A♭ (the ♭5) in the bass: ♭5 · ♭7 · 1 · ♭3.

3rd inversion Dø7/C

C♭7D1F♭3A♭♭5

C (the ♭7) in the bass: ♭7 · 1 · ♭3 · ♭5.

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