D♭, major chord
D♭, F and A♭
- Root
- D♭
- Major third
- F
- Perfect fifth
- A♭
Formula
1 3 5 (4, 7 half steps above D♭)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | D♭ | F | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
D♭ major inversions
D♭ major has 2 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♭
Root position
| Notes | D♭ | F | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
D♭/F
First inversion
| Notes | F | A♭ | D♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
D♭/A♭
Second inversion
| Notes | A♭ | D♭ | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with D♭ major
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. D♭ major appears as:
- I in D♭ major
- IV in A♭ major
- V in G♭ major
- VI in F minor
- III in B♭ minor
- VII in E♭ minor
How D♭ major is built
D♭ is the root, F the major third and A♭ the perfect fifth.
A major chord is a root, the major third 4 half steps above it and the perfect fifth 7 half steps above it. Lower the middle note by one key and D♭ major becomes C♯ minor.
Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of D♭ major are D, F, A. That is why it is spelled D♭, F and A♭.
Find D♭ major 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 3
Tap the notes of D♭ major, in any octave and any order.
Practice D♭ major 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♭ major chord?
D♭ major (D♭) has three notes: D♭, F and A♭. D♭ is the root, F the major third and A♭ the perfect fifth.
What fingers do you use for D♭ major on piano?
In root position, play D♭, F and A♭ with right hand fingers 1, 3 and 5 (thumb, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.
What are the inversions of D♭ major?
D♭ major has 2 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (D♭/F): F, A♭ and D♭. Second inversion (D♭/A♭): A♭, D♭ and F.
Is D♭ major the same as C♯ major?
On the piano, yes: they use the same keys. They are written differently, because a chord takes every other letter: D♭ major is D♭, F and A♭ and C♯ major is C♯, E♯ and G♯. D♭ major is the usual name: its key has 5 flats, while C♯ major would need 7 sharps.