Db7 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a - m - i · Smooth Bossa (2/4 · 6 notes · Level 2)
From the bass on the 5th to the 1st string there are 4 different notes. Six plucks give time to hear them. All 6 arpeggios
Subtle syncopation and oscillating timbre.
Play Db7 one string at a time and you hear Db, F, Ab and Cb. Db is the root, F the major third, Ab the fifth and Cb the minor seventh. Said aloud, its notes are D flat, F, A flat and C flat.
From the low string to the high one you hear Db, Ab, Cb, F and Ab. The note heard most is Ab, twice. It is not the root but the fifth. The lowest note is Db on string 5 and the highest is Ab on string 1.
For Db7, your index finger barres fret 4. String 6 stays silent. Everything fits between frets 4 and 6. Besides the main one there are two more shapes, at frets 2 and 9.
Db is one change away. String 3 moves from fret 4 to fret 6, bringing in Db, the root of Db. It shares two notes with Bbm, Db and F. Going to Abm, three positions stay the same. It can also be written C#7, and it sounds the same.
Db7 shows up in two keys. In Gb major it is the V7 and in Gb minor the V7.
Db 1F 3Ab 5Cb ♭7
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 4 (Db)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 4. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 6, 2nd String (B) at fret 6. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Barre fret 9. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 11, 3rd String (G) at fret 10.
Placement tip: Press: 5th String (A) at fret 4 with your Ring finger, 4th String (D) at fret 3 with your Middle finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 4 with your Pinky finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 2 with your Index finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E), 1st String (High E).
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 4 to 6 |
| Barre | fret 4, from the 5th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 3 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 4, only the barre sounds the 5th, 3rd, and 1st strings.
Listen: Db7 → Db · Abm · Bm
Db7 sits in the scale of 2 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Db7 chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the Db7 chord is its root note: Db. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 4.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The Db7 chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 formula (Dominant Seventh). Its constituent pitches are Db, F, Ab, Cb.
To prevent fret buzz on the Db7 barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
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