Ways to play D♭
Lowest on the neck first. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.
What's in D♭
A major chord stacks a major 3rd (four half steps) and a perfect 5th (seven half steps) on the root. For D♭ that gives D♭, F and A♭. Every shape below is some arrangement of those three notes, with a few doubled in another octave.
| Note | Formula | Interval from D♭ |
|---|---|---|
| D♭ | 1 | Root |
| F | 3 | Major 3rd |
| A♭ | 5 | Perfect 5th |
Major chords sound settled and bright. They are the I, IV and V of every major key, which is why so many songs get by on three of them.
The key of D♭ major
Five flats, the same pitches as C♯ major. A capo on the 1st fret turns C shapes into D♭, and that is how most guitarists handle it.
The seven chords built from the D♭ major scale:
Songs in D♭ major
- Sweet Child O' Mine, Guns N' Roses (D shapes, tuned down a half step)
Keys that use D♭
Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of D♭, F and A♭, and the chord's Roman numeral in each. Minor keys marked harmonic get the chord from the raised 7th of the harmonic minor scale.
| Key | D♭ is the |
|---|---|
| D♭ major | I |
| A♭ major | IV |
| F♯ major | V |
| F♯ minor (harmonic) | V |
| F minor | VI |
| B♭ minor | III |
| E♭ minor | VII |
Progressions to try
Related chords
The relative minor is B♭m, which shares its key signature. The parallel minor is C♯m, same root with the 3rd lowered.
Other chords on D♭: