Guitar chords · Major
D♭ chord on guitar (Db)
D♭ (D♭ major) has three notes: D♭, F and A♭, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., 3 and 5.
Shapes
How to play D♭
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
D♭ has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 4 or the E shape at fret 9. A A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major. keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
A shape · fret 4
E shape · fret 9
Notes and formula
What makes D♭ major
A major chord stacks a major 3rd and a perfect 5th on the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.. It is the bright, settled sound most songs start and end on.
- 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 makes D♭ a major chord; you can leave out the 5th.
- D♭Rroot
- F3essential
- A♭5optional
- D♭, the root
- Other chord tones
D♭ and C♯ are the same chord with two names: same The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step., same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.
Keys
Keys with D♭
D♭ belongs to seven keys: G♭ major (V), D♭ major (I), A♭ major (IV), F♯ minor (V, spelled C♯, The natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, which makes the V chord major and gives it a strong pull home.), E♭ minor (VII), B♭ minor (III) and F minor (VI).
- VG♭ major
- ID♭ major
- IVA♭ major
- VF♯ minorSpelled C♯ in this keyFrom the harmonic minor
- VIIE♭ minor
- IIIB♭ minor
- VIF minor
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
Progressions
Progressions with D♭
Common progressions that use D♭, each in a key that spells it D♭. The outlined chord is D♭.
The pop axis in D♭ major
I – V – vi – IV
- D♭
- A♭
- B♭m
- G♭
Four chords that carry a huge share of modern pop. All four sit next to each other on the circle.
Heard in Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, With or Without You
Three-chord rock in D♭ major
I – IV – V – IV
- D♭
- G♭
- A♭
- G♭
Tonic, subdominant, dominant: the key and its two neighbours on the outer ring.
Heard in La Bamba, Twist and Shout, Wild Thing
'50s doo-wop in D♭ major
I – vi – IV – V
- D♭
- B♭m
- G♭
- A♭
The vi chord softens the move from I to IV before the V pulls back home.
Heard in Stand by Me, Every Breath You Take
Minor pop in F minor
i – VI – III – VII
- Fm
- D♭
- A♭
- E♭
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Andalusian cadence in F minor
i – VII – VI – V
- Fm
- E♭
- D♭
- C
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Slash chords
D♭ over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps D♭ on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- D♭/F
D♭ with its 3rd, F, in the bass: the first inversion.
- D♭/A♭
D♭ with its 5th, A♭, in the bass: the second inversion.
- D♭/C
D♭ over C, a passing bass a The smallest distance in Western music: one fret on the guitar, such as E to F or F to F♯. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in D♭, D♭/C, B♭m.
- D♭/C♭
D♭ over C♭, a passing bass a Two half steps, or two frets on the guitar, such as C to D. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in D♭, D♭/C♭, G♭.
Same root
Other chords on C♯ / D♭
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- C♯m minor
- D♭7 dominant 7th
- D♭maj7 major 7th
- C♯m7 minor 7th
- D♭sus2 suspended 2nd
- D♭sus4 suspended 4th
- D♭6 major 6th
- C♯m6 minor 6th
- D♭add9 add 9
- D♭9 dominant 9th
- D♭maj9 major 9th
- C♯m9 minor 9th
- D♭13 dominant 13th
- D♭maj13 major 13th
- C♯m11 minor 11th
- C♯° diminished
- C♯m7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- C♯°7 diminished 7th
- D♭+ augmented
- D♭5 power chord
- D♭7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- C♯m(maj7) minor major 7th
- D♭6/9 six-nine
- C♯m(add9) minor add 9
- D♭7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
D♭, in short
- What notes are in the D♭ chord?
- D♭ (D♭ major) has three notes: D♭, F and A♭, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., 3 and 5.
- How do you play D♭ on guitar?
- D♭ has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 4 or the E shape at fret 9.
- What key is D♭ in?
- D♭ belongs to seven keys: G♭ major (V), D♭ major (I), A♭ major (IV), F♯ minor (V, spelled C♯, The natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, which makes the V chord major and gives it a strong pull home.), E♭ minor (VII), B♭ minor (III) and F minor (VI).
- Is D♭ the same as C♯?
- Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. D♭ is the spelling in G♭ major, D♭ major, A♭ major, E♭ minor, B♭ minor and F minor; C♯ only in F♯ major, C♯ major, F♯ minor, D♯ minor and A♯ minor.