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Chord & Fret

D#7(b5) — dominant seventh flat five

Also written Eb7(b5) — the same chord, spelled the other way.

Notes in D#7(b5): D# – F## – A – C#Formula: 1 – 3 – b5 – b7

In the formula, the numbers count steps of the major scale starting from the note that names the chord; "b" lowers a half step, "#" raises one — and a slash names the bass note.

Here the fifth drops a semitone and the chord turns ambiguous on purpose: the same four notes serve two distant dominants (C7(b5) and F#7(b5)). That coincidence is the door to the tritone substitution.

The same chord on all four instruments

D#7(b5), x x 1 2 2 3D#7(b5)1234××EbADbG
Guitar
D#7(b5), x x 1 2 2 3D#7(b5)1234××EbADbG
Electric guitar
D#7(b5), 7 6 4 5D#7(b5)44312ADbEbG
Cavaquinho
D#7(b5), 2 3 3 4D#7(b5)1234AEbGDb
Ukulele

Where to use it: Jazz, bossa and turnarounds — the natural step toward swapping one dominant for another.

This is just one shape of D#7(b5). In Chord & Fret, you check it note by note, playing any shape as an arpeggio; open every variation on the neck, grouped by bass note; and change the tuning — the shape rewrites itself. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. Plays offline.

See the whole neck in Chord & Fret →

Part of the Sevenths family.

Other chords in this family

Ebmaj7Ebmaj7Ebmaj7Ebmaj7Eb7Eb7Eb7Eb7D#m7D#m7D#m7D#m7Ebm(maj7)D#m7(b5)D#dim7Eb7(#5)

See all chord types and qualities →