Hear the Chord

Chords in the key of D♭ major

The key of D♭ major has five flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭). Its seven chords are D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭, A♭, B♭m and Cdim. Tap any of them, or play them in order.

  1. 4fr×1C♯2G♯3C♯4E♯G♯x-4-6-6-6-4
  2. ××1E♭3B♭4E♭2G♭x-x-1-3-4-2
  3. 1F2C3FA♭CF1-3-3-1-1-1
  4. 1F♯3C♯4F♯2A♯C♯F♯2-4-4-3-2-2
  5. 4fr1A♭3E♭4A♭2CE♭A♭4-6-6-5-4-4
  6. ×1B♭3F4B♭2D♭Fx-1-3-3-2-1
  7. 3fr×1C2G♭4C3E♭×x-3-4-5-4-x

Tap a numeral to hear one chord; tap a shape to open it.

The chords that do most of the work

D♭ is home. G♭ (IV) is the step away, A♭ (V) is the pull back, and B♭m (vi), the relative minor, is the shadow of home. Those four chords, in some order, carry an enormous share of pop, rock and country songs. E♭m (ii) usually leads to A♭; Fm (iii) is used for color; Cdim is tense and rarely stays long.

Key signature

D♭ major has five flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭), printed once at the start of each staff. Flat keys add one flat per step counterclockwise around the circle of fifths: D♭ major sits between A♭ major and F♯ major.

𝄞♭♭♭♭♭
𝄢♭♭♭♭♭

The notes of the key are the D♭ major scale: D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C. Relative minor: B♭ minor (same notes). Parallel minor: C♯ minor (same starting note).

Progressions in D♭ major

Every progression below is spelled out in D♭ major. The player starts with the pop progression.

In D♭ major, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder

  1. ID♭
  2. VA♭
  3. viB♭m
  4. IVG♭
ProgressionIn D♭ major
I–V–vi–IV
the pop progression		D♭ – A♭ – B♭m – G♭
I–IV–V
the three-chord progression		D♭ – G♭ – A♭ – D♭
I–vi–IV–V
the 50s progression		D♭ – B♭m – G♭ – A♭
ii–V–I
the jazz cadence		E♭m7 – A♭7 – D♭maj7 – D♭maj7
vi–IV–I–V
the minor-feel pop loop		B♭m – G♭ – D♭ – A♭
I–IV–vi–V
the lift		D♭ – G♭ – B♭m – A♭
I–vi–ii–V
the turnaround		D♭ – B♭m – E♭m – A♭
I–iii–IV–V
the stepwise climb		D♭ – Fm – G♭ – A♭
I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V
the Canon progression		D♭ – A♭ – B♭m – Fm – G♭ – D♭ – G♭ – A♭
I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars)
the 12-bar blues		D♭7 – D♭7 – D♭7 – D♭7 – G♭7 – G♭7 – D♭7 – D♭7 – A♭7 – G♭7 – D♭7 – A♭7

Borrowed dominants: leaning into other chords of D♭ major

These chords borrow one note from outside the key to set up the next chord, the way V7 sets up I.

Borrowing from C♯ minor

Major-key songs often darken for a moment by taking chords from C♯ minor: F♯m (iv), A (♭VI), B (♭VII) and E (♭III). The minor iv (F♯m) is the classic bittersweet move before returning to D♭.

Seventh chords in D♭ major

The D♭ major seventh chords: D♭maj7, E♭m7, Fm7, G♭maj7, A♭7, B♭m7 and Cm7♭5. A♭7 is the only dominant seventh, which is why it pulls so strongly to D♭.

Playing in D♭ major on guitar

D♭ major is awkward in open position, so most guitarists use a capo: capo 1st fret with C major shapes, capo 4th fret with A major shapes or capo 6th fret with G major shapes. Barre chords work too.

Transpose a chord chart · How a capo works

Other keys

Key of D♭ major: questions

What chords are in the key of D♭ major?

D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭, A♭, B♭m and Cdim. As numerals: I = D♭, ii = E♭m, iii = Fm, IV = G♭, V = A♭, vi = B♭m, vii° = Cdim.

How many sharps or flats are in D♭ major?

Five flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭).

What is the relative minor of D♭ major?

B♭ minor. The two keys share all seven notes.

What are the I, IV and V chords in D♭ major?

D♭ (I), G♭ (IV) and A♭ (V). With those three you can accompany most folk and blues tunes in the key.

How do I play in D♭ major on guitar with a capo?

Capo 1st fret, then play C major shapes (C, G, Am, F); they sound as D♭, A♭, B♭m, G♭.

Chord spellings follow the key signature of D♭ major; all of them are checked automatically. Updated September 2026.