Playing over half dim m7b5 chords

I get asked about this all the time. My answer is to think about them as minor chord up a minor
3rd from the root.

So for Dm7b5, think of Fminor.

The second question I get is "which minor scale".
The two that I use most often are:
FMelodic minor (F G Ab Bb C D E) and
F Dorian (F G Ab Bb C D Eb).

Notice that Melodic minor has the E natural which is the natural 9 on the Dm7b5 chord.
If the Dm7b5 is going to Cmin, you will need to carefully voice-lead your lines since that
note is the major 3rd of the key.

If you listen to Coltrane on the Lush Life album, he uses this technique all over "I love you".
Pat Martino also uses it and borrowed much of his language from that recording.

This example uses legato techniques over F Melodic minor material over a Dm7b5 chord.
Note - I notated this using economy picking but for the 2nd and 3rd downstrokes in each

   Dm9♭5
phrase you can also use hybrid picking and i and m for those 2 notes.

   
        
   


  
     
   
3


Dm9♭5

  
           4 8 3
3 3
3

 
Dm7♭5

5 8 6 5
5 9 5 5 7 5
5 8 6 5 6 6
7 5 8
4 8