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Guitar chords · Major 6th

D♭6 chord on guitar (Db6)

D♭6 (D♭ major 6th) has four notes: D♭, F, A♭ and B♭, the , 3, 5 and 6.

Shapes

How to play D♭6

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

D♭6 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 4 or the E shape at fret 9. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • A shape · fret 4

    4fr×R5R36D♭A♭D♭FB♭
  • E shape · fret 9

    9frR5R36RD♭A♭D♭FB♭D♭
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes D♭6 major 6th

A 6th chord adds the 6th note of the scale to a major chord. It is sweeter and less tense than a , and it often ends a song in swing, country and old pop.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The 3rd and the 6th make D♭6 a major 6th chord; you can leave out the 5th.

  1. D♭Rroot
  2. F3essential
  3. A♭5optional
  4. B♭6essential
EADGBE0135791215D♭D♭D♭D♭D♭D♭D♭FA♭B♭FB♭FA♭B♭FA♭B♭FA♭B♭FA♭B♭FA♭B♭FA♭B♭F
  • D♭, the root
  • Other chord tones

D♭6 and C♯6 are the same chord with two names: same , same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.

Keys

Keys with D♭6

D♭6 belongs to six keys: G♭ major (V6), D♭ major (I6), A♭ major (IV6), E♭ minor (VII6), B♭ minor (III6) and F minor (VI6).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Slash chords

D♭6 over another bass note

A keeps D♭6 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • D♭6/F

    D♭6 with its 3rd, F, in the bass.

  • D♭6/A♭

    D♭6 with its 5th, A♭, in the bass.

Questions

D♭6, in short

What notes are in the D♭6 chord?
D♭6 (D♭ major 6th) has four notes: D♭, F, A♭ and B♭, the , 3, 5 and 6.
How do you play D♭6 on guitar?
D♭6 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 4 or the E shape at fret 9.
What key is D♭6 in?
D♭6 belongs to six keys: G♭ major (V6), D♭ major (I6), A♭ major (IV6), E♭ minor (VII6), B♭ minor (III6) and F minor (VI6).
Is D♭6 the same as C♯6?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. D♭6 is the spelling in G♭ major, D♭ major, A♭ major, E♭ minor, B♭ minor and F minor; C♯6 only in F♯ major, C♯ major, D♯ minor and A♯ minor.
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