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D-flat Chord

piano chord chart

The D-flat major triad, more commonly called the D-flat major chord or simply the D-flat chord for short, consists of the notes D-flat, F and A-flat. It is enharmonic with the C-sharp major chord – meaning that both chords are the same on the piano, even though the notes are different.

Here it is on the treble clef staff:

… and on the piano:

Here is the D-flat major chord on the bass clef staff:

As a major triad, the D-flat chord consists of a major third plus a minor third. The interval from D-flat to F is a major third, while the interval between F and A-flat is a minor third.

Inversions of the D-flat Chord

If the root of the D-flat chord – D-flat – is the bass note (i.e., the bottom note), then the chord is in root position:

If the third of the chord – F – is the bottom note, then the chord is in first inversion:

If the fifth of the chord – A-flat – is the bass note, then the chord is in second inversion. (A-flat is called the fifth of the chord because the interval from the root D-flat to A-flat is a fifth.)

D-flat Major Arpeggios

If the notes of a chord are played one after the other, the chord is said to be arpeggiated. Here are the standard fingerings for arpeggios of the D-flat chord. Make sure you learn these fingerings!

(If you don’t understand the below notation, you should start with my How to Read Sheet Music course.)

D-flat major arpeggio in root position:

D-flat major arpeggio in first inversion:

D-flat major arpeggio in second inversion:

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