dominant seventh chord
D♭, F, A♭ and C♭
- Root
- D♭
- Major third
- F
- Perfect fifth
- A♭
- Minor seventh
- C♭
Formula
1 3 5 ♭7 (4, 7, 10 half steps above D♭)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | D♭ | F | A♭ | C♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
C♭ is played on the white key B.
D♭7 inversions
D♭7 has 3 inversions. Each one keeps the same notes and puts a different one at the bottom, so your hand can stay close to the chord before or after it.
D♭7
Root position
| Notes | D♭ | F | A♭ | C♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
D♭7/F
First inversion
| Notes | F | A♭ | C♭ | D♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
D♭7/A♭
Second inversion
| Notes | A♭ | C♭ | D♭ | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
D♭7/C♭
Third inversion
| Notes | C♭ | D♭ | F | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with D♭7
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. D♭7 appears as:
- V7 in G♭ major
- VII7 in E♭ minor
How D♭7 is built
D♭ is the root, F the major third, A♭ the perfect fifth and C♭ the minor seventh.
A dominant seventh is a major chord plus the minor seventh, 10 half steps above the root. D♭7 is the V7 chord of G♭ major and pulls strongly toward it.
Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of D♭7 are D, F, A, C. That is why it is spelled D♭, F, A♭ and C♭.
Find D♭7 yourself
Without looking at the diagrams, find the chord on the keyboard, then each inversion. Saying the notes out loud as you tap them helps them stick.
Step 1 of 4
Tap the notes of D♭7, in any octave and any order.
Practice D♭7 in real music
MasterPiano gives you new music to read at your level and listens as you play, through a MIDI keyboard or your device's microphone, marking each note right or wrong.
Start freeQuestions
What notes are in the D♭7 chord?
D♭7 has four notes: D♭, F, A♭ and C♭. D♭ is the root, F the major third, A♭ the perfect fifth and C♭ the minor seventh. C♭ is played on the white key B.
What fingers do you use for D♭7 on piano?
In root position, play D♭, F, A♭ and C♭ with right hand fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 (thumb, index finger, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3, 2 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.
What are the inversions of D♭7?
D♭7 has 3 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (D♭7/F): F, A♭, C♭ and D♭. Second inversion (D♭7/A♭): A♭, C♭, D♭ and F. Third inversion (D♭7/C♭): C♭, D♭, F and A♭.
What key is D♭7 in?
D♭7 appears as V7 in G♭ major and VII7 in E♭ minor.