Chords
Db Major
Db · F · Ab
The major triad — a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. The most stable chord in Western music.
Also written DbM · Db^ · Dbmaj
Db Major
Db · F · Ab
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Db3 · F3 · Ab3 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Db Major (Db) contains the notes Db · F · Ab, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built
Inversions
An inversion of Db Major puts a chord tone other than Db in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales Db Major belongs to.
In which keys
Db Major is diatonic to 7 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
Scales that contain it
Db Major fits inside these scales, each built on Db.
- Db Major PentatonicDb · Eb · F · Ab · Bb
- Db Major BluesDb · Eb · Fb · F · Ab · Bb
- Db MajorDb · Eb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb · C
- Db LydianDb · Eb · F · G · Ab · Bb · C
- Db MixolydianDb · Eb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb · Cb
- Db Lydian DominantDb · Eb · F · G · Ab · Bb · Cb
- Db Ionian PentatonicDb · F · Gb · Ab · C
- Db Mixolydian PentatonicDb · F · Gb · Ab · Cb
Understanding the Db Major chord
Names and symbols
Db is the chord symbol for Db Major; it is also written DbM, Db^, Dbmaj.
Db Major and C# Major are the same sound spelled two ways; both have a page here, and each links to the other. C# Major
How it is built
On Db the major triad is Db · F · Ab, stacking the intervals 1P · 3M · 5P. The major third makes it sound bright; the perfect fifth makes it sound settled.
Change only the third and the chord turns minor. Everything the ear reads as "happy" or "sad" in a plain triad lives in that one note.
How it is used
It is the I chord of its own key and the tonic almost every progression eventually returns to. It also appears as the IV and V of its key, which is why three major triads are enough for a large share of folk, country and rock.
Inverted, it keeps its identity completely — Db with the third or fifth in the bass is still Db, just voiced to smooth the bass line.
Learn this properly
Chapter 10: Chords: Triads and SeventhsCommon questions
- What notes are in Db?
- Db contains Db · F · Ab. Name any set of notes with the chord identifier.
- How do you build a major chord?
- Stack a major third and then a minor third above the root — or equivalently, take the first, third and fifth degrees of the major scale.
- What is the difference between Db and a minor chord on the same root?
- One note. Lower the third by a semitone and the major triad becomes minor; nothing else changes.
- What notes are in the Db Major chord?
- The Db Major chord contains the notes Db · F · Ab: the root Db with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally Db, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the Db Major chord?
- Measured from Db, the Db Major chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.