D♭7
Character: bluesy
- D♭Rtriad
- F3triad
- A♭5triad
- C♭♭7add
19 ways to play D♭7
Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.
- Triad note
- Substitute
- Added
- Anchored root
- Bass
- Doubling
Frets x 2 3 1 2 xNotes C♭ F A♭ D♭Intervals ♭7 3 5 1Base triadD♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 4 3 1 0 1Notes D♭ F A♭ C♭Intervals 1 3 5 ♭7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 4 3 4 2 4Notes F C♭ D♭Intervals 3 ♭7 1Base triadD♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 4 3 4 x xNotes D♭ F C♭Intervals 1 3 ♭7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 4 4 3 4 x xNotes A♭ D♭ F C♭Intervals 5 1 3 ♭7Base triadD♭ major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 4 6 6 6 7Notes A♭ D♭ F C♭Intervals 5 1 3 ♭7Base triadD♭ major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x x 6 6 7Notes D♭ F C♭Intervals 1 3 ♭7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 9 6 6 xNotes C♭ D♭ FIntervals ♭7 1 3Base triadD♭ major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 4 6 4 6 4Notes D♭ A♭ C♭ FIntervals 1 5 ♭7 3Base triadD♭ major, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
Frets 9 8 9 6 6 9Notes F C♭ D♭Intervals 3 ♭7 1Base triadD♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 7 8 6 6 x xNotes C♭ F A♭ D♭Intervals ♭7 3 5 1Base triadD♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 9 8 9 10 9 9Notes D♭ F C♭Intervals 1 3 ♭7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 9 11 11 10 9 7Notes D♭ F A♭ C♭Intervals 1 3 5 ♭7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 9 11 11 10 12 9Notes F C♭ D♭Intervals 3 ♭7 1Base triadD♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 9 10 9 9Notes C♭ F A♭ D♭Intervals ♭7 3 5 1Base triadD♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 9 x 11 10 12 xNotes D♭ F C♭Intervals 1 3 ♭7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 9 11 11 10 12 xNotes A♭ D♭ F C♭Intervals 5 1 3 ♭7Base triadD♭ major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 9 11 9 10 x xNotes D♭ A♭ C♭ FIntervals 1 5 ♭7 3Base triadD♭ major, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
Frets x x x 4 2 1Notes C♭ D♭ FIntervals ♭7 1 3Base triadD♭ major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
The construction rules D♭7 follows
Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
A third on top makes a 7th chord
A major 7th over a major triad is maj7, a ♭7 is a dominant 7. Over minor you get m7 or m(maj7); over diminished, m7♭5 or the °7, whose 7th is lowered twice.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.
The root can move down
When an extension needs the root’s string, the root can drop to the string below the triad: an anchored voicing keeps the bass and frees a string on top.
All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.
Dominant 7th in every key
More chords on D♭
D♭7 chord questions
What notes are in D♭7?
D♭7 is spelled D♭ F A♭ C♭: D♭ is the root, F is the 3rd, A♭ is the 5th, C♭ is the ♭7th.
What is the formula of D♭7?
1 3 5 ♭7. It is a D♭ major triad with the ♭7th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play D♭7 on guitar?
This page shows 19 voicings of D♭7, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.