What notes are in a D♯m7 chord?

D♯m7 contains four notes: D♯ (root), F♯ (minor third), A♯ (perfect fifth), and C♯ (minor seventh).

Is D♯m7 the same as E♭m7?

Yes, enharmonically — same four pitches. D♯m7 lives inside C♯-major key contexts; E♭m7 (E♭-G♭-B♭-D♭) is the flat-side spelling and is much more common in published jazz charts.

How do you play D♯m7 on guitar?

Most commonly a 6th-fret A-shape barre: index across strings 5-1 on fret 6, ring finger on the 8th fret of the 4th string, middle finger on the 6th fret of the 3rd string, pinky on the 7th fret of the 2nd string.

When would I see D♯m7 instead of E♭m7?

In music notated in C♯ major or F♯ major — keeping consistent sharp-side spelling. Outside those keys, E♭m7 is the universal practical spelling.

D# minor 7 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

D♯ minor 7 (D♯m7) — D♯, F♯, A♯, C♯ — is D♯ minor with a minor 7th on top. The chord is the iim7 of C♯ major (and enharmonically the iim7 of D♭ major when respelled as E♭m7). All four notes are sharp — the highest-sharp-count m7 chord that avoids double accidentals.

Intervals

The D# minor 7 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

D#→F#minor 3rd3 semitones
F#→A#major 3rd4 semitones
A#→C#minor 3rd3 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the D# minor 7 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the D# minor 7 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

1D#
♭3F#
5A#
♭7C#

Common mistakes

All four notes carry sharps. The most common error is dropping one — reading F♯ as F natural makes a different chord (D♯dim7 essentially). The chord is enharmonically equivalent to E♭m7 (E♭-G♭-B♭-D♭); in flat-key contexts E♭m7 is the preferred spelling.

In context

D♯m7 is the iim7 of C♯ major (the ii–V–I runs D♯m7 → G♯7 → C♯maj7) and the vim7 of F♯ major. As the im7 of D♯ minor in modal jazz, it serves as a tonic chord that doesn't need to resolve.

Drill it

The D# minor 7 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

Open the Chord Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzle

Frequently asked

What notes are in a D♯m7 chord?: D♯m7 contains four notes: D♯ (root), F♯ (minor third), A♯ (perfect fifth), and C♯ (minor seventh).
Is D♯m7 the same as E♭m7?: Yes, enharmonically — same four pitches. D♯m7 lives inside C♯-major key contexts; E♭m7 (E♭-G♭-B♭-D♭) is the flat-side spelling and is much more common in published jazz charts.
How do you play D♯m7 on guitar?: Most commonly a 6th-fret A-shape barre: index across strings 5-1 on fret 6, ring finger on the 8th fret of the 4th string, middle finger on the 6th fret of the 3rd string, pinky on the 7th fret of the 2nd string.
When would I see D♯m7 instead of E♭m7?: In music notated in C♯ major or F♯ major — keeping consistent sharp-side spelling. Outside those keys, E♭m7 is the universal practical spelling.