Dbm(maj7) Db minor-major seventh chord
- Notes
- Db Fb Ab C
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 7
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 11 above the root
- Also written
- C#m(maj7) (C# E G# B#)
- Other symbols
- DbmM7, Dbm(Δ7), Dbmin(maj7)
Db to Fb is a minor third (3 semitones), Fb to Ab is a major third (4 semitones), Ab to C is a major third (4 semitones). A minor triad with a major seventh, C, a half step below the root. The minor third Fb and the major seventh make an augmented triad (Fb Ab C) inside the chord, which gives it its tense, suspenseful sound.
Dbm(maj7) on the piano
Root position from Db4: Db4, Fb4, Ab4, C5. Middle C is C4.
Dbm(maj7) 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 5 5 4 (low E to high e)
Sounds Db3 Ab3 C4 Fb4 Ab4
9 x 10 9 9 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Db3 C4 Fb4 Ab4
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 minor-major seventh chords on other roots.
Inversions of Dbm(maj7)
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 Fb Ab C | Dbm(maj7) | |
| 1st inversion | Fb Ab C Db | Dbm(maj7)/E | |
| 2nd inversion | Ab C Db Fb | Dbm(maj7)/Ab | |
| 3rd inversion | C Db Fb Ab | C#m/C (also written Dbm/C; also read as Dbm(maj7)/C) |
Where Dbm(maj7) fits
Dbm(maj7) is i(maj7) in C# minor (where it is spelled C#m(maj7)). Most often it is a passing chord in the descending line Dbm → Dbm(maj7) → Dbm7 → Dbm6, where one voice falls a half step at a time from Db. The first four bars of the jazz standard "My Funny Valentine" (Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm7, Cm6 in C minor) are exactly that line.