Chord · Db Major
D♭ Chord
D♭ is Db, F and Ab — bright, stable. The reference triad.
D♭ on every instrument
The same 3 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What D♭ is made of
Db Major (Db major) is built from the notes Db, F, Ab, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5. A common major chord across many styles.
Stack 1, 3 and 5 on a root of D♭ and you get Db, F and Ab. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a major chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C sounds like a transposed D♭.
Major: Bright, stable. The reference triad.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with D♭ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain D♭
All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 10 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on D♭
Same root, different colour.
Questions people ask about Db
- What notes are in the Db chord?
- Db is made of Db, F and Ab — the 1, 3 and 5 degrees of a major chord built on Db.
- What keys use the Db chord?
- Every note of Db belongs to 10 keys: Ab Major (IV), Db Major (I), F# Major (V), Gb Major (V), C# Major (I), F Minor (VI), Bb Minor (III), D# Minor (VII), Eb Minor (VII), A# Minor (III). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Db on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Db on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 13 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
- Is Db the same as C#?
- Yes. Db and C# are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Db is the spelling this site treats as canonical.
Learn the theory behind it
Why D♭ behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.