Db7 Db dominant seventh chord
- Notes
- Db F Ab Cb
- Formula
- 1 3 5 b7
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 10 above the root
- Also written
- C#7 (C# E# G# B)
- Other symbols
- Dbdom7
Db to F is a major third (4 semitones), F to Ab is a minor third (3 semitones), Ab to Cb is a minor third (3 semitones). A dominant seventh is a major triad plus a minor seventh (Cb, 10 semitones above Db). It is the V chord that leads back home, and the basic chord of the blues.
Db7 on the piano
Root position from Db4: Db4, F4, Ab4, Cb5. Middle C is C4.
Db7 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has Db as its lowest note.
x 4 6 4 6 4 (low E to high e)
Sounds Db3 Ab3 Cb4 F4 Ab4
9 11 9 10 9 9 (low E to high e)
Sounds Db3 Ab3 Cb4 F4 Ab4 Db5
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play dominant seventh chords on other roots.
Db7 on the ukulele
Standard ukulele tuning is G C E A, drawn with the G string on the left and frets downwards, as ukulele chord charts show it. The G string is tuned higher than the C string (G4 above middle C, a fifth over C4), so the lowest note you hear is usually on the C or E string, not on the G string, and a shape can sound as an inversion even when its root is on the G string. All four strings are strummed, so every string plays a chord tone; the root is in blue-green.
1112 (G C E A)
Sounds Ab4 Db4 F4 Cb5
4112 (G C E A)
Sounds Cb5 Db4 F4 Cb5, fifth (Ab) left out
Inversions of Db7
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | Db F Ab Cb | Db7 | |
| 1st inversion | F Ab Cb Db | Db7/F | |
| 2nd inversion | Ab Cb Db F | Db7/Ab | |
| 3rd inversion | Cb Db F Ab | Db7/B |
Where Db7 fits
Db7 is V7 in Gb major, V7 in F# minor (where it is spelled C#7). Its F and Cb are a tritone apart (6 semitones). In Gb major the F usually rises a half step to Gb and the Cb falls a half step, which is why Db7 pulls so strongly towards Gb.