D♭maj7
Character: dreamy
- D♭Rtriad
- F3triad
- A♭5triad
- C7add
15 ways to play D♭maj7
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 3 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 1 1Notes D♭ F A♭ CIntervals 1 3 5 7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The 7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 4 3 5 2 4Notes F C D♭Intervals 3 7 1Base triadD♭ major, 1st inversion
The 7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 4 3 5 x xNotes D♭ F CIntervals 1 3 7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The 7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 4 4 3 5 x xNotes A♭ D♭ F CIntervals 5 1 3 7Base triadD♭ major, 2nd inversion
The 7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 4 6 6 6 8Notes A♭ D♭ F CIntervals 5 1 3 7Base triadD♭ major, 2nd inversion
The 7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x x 6 6 8Notes D♭ F CIntervals 1 3 7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The 7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 4 6 5 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 10 6 6 9Notes F C D♭Intervals 3 7 1Base triadD♭ major, 1st inversion
The 7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 8 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 10 10 9 9Notes D♭ F CIntervals 1 3 7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The 7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 9 11 11 10 9 8Notes D♭ F A♭ CIntervals 1 3 5 7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The 7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 10 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 13 xNotes D♭ F CIntervals 1 3 7Base triadD♭ major, root position
The 7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 9 11 10 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.
The construction rules D♭maj7 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.
Major 7th in every key
More chords on D♭
D♭maj7 chord questions
What notes are in D♭maj7?
D♭maj7 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♭maj7?
1 3 5 7. It is a D♭ major triad with the 7th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play D♭maj7 on guitar?
This page shows 15 voicings of D♭maj7, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.