The Key of D♭ Major for Guitar
The key of D♭ major has the notes D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C, 5 flats (B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭), and its relative minor is B♭ minor.
- Chords
- D♭ E♭m Fm G♭ A♭ B♭m Cdim
- Main three
- D♭ G♭ A♭
- Key signature of D♭ major
- 5 flats (B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭)
Chords in the key
Chords in D♭ major · moved from D♭ major · · tap to hear1 home chord of the key
35 on the 3rd and 5th
2 other degrees
Now sounding
Key · Capo
Showing: D♭ major (page key)No capo: you play D♭ major shapes as written.
Fretboard · D♭ major scale
Tap a dot to hear it; it lights amber while it sounds. Brightest dot = 1, the root (D♭). Lighter grey = 3 and 5. High e on top, frets 0 to 12, no capo. Swipe the board sideways for frets 7 to 12.
Progression · I–IV–V–I
Stopped. Four beats per chord, strum D D U D.
Chords in D♭ major, with notes
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | D♭ | D♭ F A♭ |
| ii | E♭m | E♭ G♭ B♭ |
| iii | Fm | F A♭ C |
| IV | G♭ | G♭ B♭ D♭ |
| V | A♭ | A♭ C E♭ |
| vi | B♭m | B♭ D♭ F |
| vii° | Cdim | C E♭ G♭ |
Seventh chords in D♭ major
Add the next scale note a third above each triad and you get the four-note seventh chords of the key.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | D♭maj7 | D♭ F A♭ C |
| ii7 | E♭m7 | E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭ |
| iii7 | Fm7 | F A♭ C E♭ |
| IVmaj7 | G♭maj7 | G♭ B♭ D♭ F |
| V7 | A♭7 | A♭ C E♭ G♭ |
| vi7 | B♭m7 | B♭ D♭ F A♭ |
| viiø7 | Cm7♭5 | C E♭ G♭ B♭ |
Shapes and voicings for every chord: chord directory.
Why D♭ major has 5 flats (B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭)
Every major scale uses the same step pattern: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. Start that pattern on D♭ and the notes land on D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C, so the key needs B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭. On one string a whole step is two frets and a half step is one fret, up to the octave at fret 12.
D♭ major scale in first position
Every note of D♭ major in frets 0 to 4. Play one finger per fret: fret 1 = finger 1, fret 2 = finger 2, fret 3 = finger 3, fret 4 = finger 4, open strings need no finger. Start on the lowest root, D♭ on the 5th string, fret 4, and play up string by string.
Tap a dot to hear it. High e on top; the brightest dot is the root.
Past fret 4: D♭ major scale in every position up the neck, with play-along and a root drone. Pentatonic, blues and the modes work over these chords too: see all guitar scales.
Playing in D♭ on guitar
D♭ major has five flats, and none of the six open strings is in the scale, so in standard tuning every chord is fretted. The main three sit close together as barres: D♭ as the A shape at fret 4, G♭ as the E shape at fret 2, A♭ as the E shape at fret 4.
Tuned down a half step (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), the guitar plays D♭ with ordinary D-key shapes, and the open D♭ and A♭ strings ring as root and fifth. In standard tuning the capo does the same job: on fret 1 the C shapes sound in D♭.
D♭ is the same key as C♯ major in sound; it is written with five flats instead of seven sharps, so lead sheets and piano music use the D♭ spelling more often.
Same sounds, other spelling: The key of C♯ major (7 sharps (F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯)).
Common progressions in D♭ major
| Degrees | Chords | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| I–IV–V–I | D♭ G♭ A♭ D♭ | D♭ G♭ A♭ D♭: in half-step-down tuning the fingers play D G A, three open chords. |
| I–V–vi–IV | D♭ A♭ B♭m G♭ | D♭ A♭ B♭m G♭: the pop loop in D♭; capo 1 and the C G Am F shapes give the same sound. |
| vi–IV–I–V | B♭m G♭ D♭ A♭ | B♭m G♭ D♭ A♭: the loop from B♭ minor, the relative minor. |
| I–vi–IV–V | D♭ B♭m G♭ A♭ | D♭ B♭m G♭ A♭: the 1950s loop; capo 4 turns it into A F♯m D E. |
Pick one in the player above and press Play to strum along, four beats per chord.
Capo and D♭ major
Capo 1 with C shapes, capo 4 with A shapes and capo 6 with G shapes all sound in D♭. Capo 1 gives the most open chords; capo 4 with A shapes suits songs built on I, IV and V.
| Capo | D♭ shapes sound in |
|---|---|
| Fret 1 | D major |
| Fret 2 | E♭ major |
| Fret 3 | E major |
| Fret 4 | F major |
| Fret 5 | F♯ major |
| Fret 6 | G major |
| Fret 7 | A♭ major |
Song in another key? Capo for D♭ major songs: the capo fret and easier shapes, or any other key.
New to the capo? How to use a capo: where to clamp it and why the same shapes sound in a new key.
Relative minor: B♭ minor
B♭ minor uses the same seven notes, starting on B♭, the 6th note of the scale. Its chord is the vi in the row above. Songs often move between the two keys without changing a single chord shape.
Have a recording and no idea what key it is in? Find the key of a song from the audio file or by letting it listen; it also gives the chords to play and the easiest capo.
Related keys
- The key of B♭ minorrelative
- The key of C♯ minorparallel
- The key of F♯ majorcircle, one step left
- The key of A♭ majorcircle, one step right
See how every key connects: interactive circle of fifths.
FAQ about D♭ major
What chords are in the key of D flat major?
D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭, A♭, B♭m and Cdim. D♭ (I), G♭ (IV) and A♭ (V) are the main three.
How many flats are in D flat major?
Five: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭. F and C are the only natural notes in the key.
Is D flat major the same as C sharp major?
Yes, they sound the same on the same frets. D♭ needs five flats and C♯ seven sharps, so D♭ is the usual choice.
How do I play D flat major with open chords?
Use a capo on fret 1 with C shapes, or tune all strings down a half step and play D, G and A shapes.
Next steps in D♭ major
- Progressions in D♭ majorgenerate, hear and loop chord progressions in this key
- D♭ major pentatonicfive notes for melodies and fills
- Guitar tunertune up before you play along