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D♭ Diminished 7th

chord·/chords/diminished-7th/d-flat/

The D♭ Diminished 7th chord contains the notes D♭, F♭, A♭♭, and C♭♭.

Notes: D♭, F♭, A♭♭, C♭♭ · Piano keys: D♭ F♭ A♭♭ C♭♭

Reviewed for accuracy · Last updated June 2026 · Maintained by Justin Evans

C♯ Diminished 7th
This is the same chord as C♯ Diminished 7th — the same keys on the keyboard, spelled with sharps.
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D♭°7
D♭ – F♭ – A♭♭ – C♭♭
Formula:R-m3-d5-d7
Intervals:P1-m3-d5-d7
Scale Degrees:1-b3-b5-bb7

Practice D♭ Diminished 7th

Reading about it is one thing. Drilling it is what makes it automatic.

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Introduction

Db Diminished 7th piano chord, root position — Db, E, G, Bb
The Db Diminished 7th chord in root position on a piano keyboard, notes Db, E, G, Bb.

The D♭ Diminished 7th chord is a four-note chord made up of D♭, F♭, A♭♭, and C♭♭. It is built from a root, minor third, diminished fifth, and diminished seventh.

Notes

Notes:D♭ – F♭ – A♭♭ – C♭♭

D♭ Diminished 7th Inversions

Db Diminished 7th piano chord, 1st inversion — E, G, Bb, Db
The Db Diminished 7th chord, 1st inversion, on a piano keyboard.
Db Diminished 7th piano chord, 2nd inversion — G, Bb, Db, E
The Db Diminished 7th chord, 2nd inversion, on a piano keyboard.
Db Diminished 7th piano chord, 3rd inversion — Bb, Db, E, G
The Db Diminished 7th chord, 3rd inversion, on a piano keyboard.
PositionNotes
Root PositionD♭ – F♭ – A♭♭ – C♭♭
1st InversionF♭ – A♭♭ – C♭♭ – D♭
2nd InversionA♭♭ – C♭♭ – D♭ – F♭
3rd InversionC♭♭ – D♭ – F♭ – A♭♭

Key Signature

A Diminished 7th chord is built from symmetrical or ambiguous intervals, so it doesn’t belong to a single key and has no key signature of its own.

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes D♭ – F♭ – A♭♭ – C♭♭ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell the following:

B♭ Diminished 7th→E Diminished 7th→G Diminished 7th→

Theory: Intervals

Formula: R-m3-d5-d7
Intervals: P1-m3-d5-d7

The D♭ Diminished 7th is built by stacking intervals from the root note. The formula R-m3-d5-d7 describes the scale degrees used. The intervals P1-m3-d5-d7 show the distance between each note in the chord.

D♭ Diminished 7th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the D♭ Diminished 7th chord on piano?
The D♭ Diminished 7th chord contains the notes D♭ – F♭ – A♭♭ – C♭♭. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the Db Diminished 7th chord?
The Db Diminished 7th chord (Dbdim7) contains four notes: Db (root), Fb (minor third), Abb (diminished fifth), and Cbb (diminished seventh). Enharmonically: Db, E, G, Bb. All four notes are spaced exactly 3 semitones apart.
How does Db Diminished 7th differ from Db Diminished?
Db Diminished is a three-note triad (Db, Fb, Abb). Db Diminished 7th adds a fourth note — Cbb (diminished seventh). This completes the symmetrical structure and increases the harmonic tension.
Why is the Diminished 7th chord symmetrical?
Every note in Dbdim7 is exactly 3 semitones from the next. This means Dbdim7 = Edim7 = Gdim7 = Bbdim7 — all the same four notes rearranged. Only three unique diminished 7th chords exist in total.
How is Db Diminished 7th used in music?
Dbdim7 commonly functions as a passing chord or leading-tone chord. As the vii°7 of D, it resolves beautifully up by half step to D Major or D minor. It also works as a chromatic approach chord to any of its enharmonic roots.
What songs use Diminished 7th chords?
Diminished 7th chords appear in Michelle (Beatles), throughout Chopin and Beethoven for dramatic tension, and in jazz standards for chromatic passing movement. Silent film scores used dim7 extensively for suspense.
How many unique Diminished 7th chords exist?
Only three. Dbdim7 is the same chord as Edim7, Gdim7, and Bbdim7 — just different inversions. All 12 roots map to just three distinct sounds because of the perfect 3-semitone symmetry.

Practice Tips

  • Play Dbdim7 and notice it sounds identical to Edim7, Gdim7, and Bbdim7 — all the same notes rearranged.
  • Use Dbdim7 as a leading-tone chord: Dbdim7 → D Major resolves powerfully upward by half step.
  • Practice Dbdim7 as a passing chord: C Major → Dbdim7 → Dm7 for smooth chromatic voice leading.
  • The enharmonic spellings (Db–Fb–Abb–Cbb vs Db–E–G–Bb) look different but sound identical — knowing both builds theory depth.
  • Try the dramatic effect: sustain Dbdim7 with pedal, then resolve to D Major — this tension-release is a classical composing technique.
  • Since only 3 unique dim7 chords exist, knowing Cdim7, Dbdim7 (C#dim7), and Ddim7 covers every possible diminished 7th.

Related Tools

Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.

References & Further Reading

How this chord page is sourced & verified

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this page are drawn from the established body of Western music theory and verified against the conventions below — the same fundamentals taught in conservatories and music programs. We list categories of source material rather than individual titles, and reference the standards themselves rather than any single edition.

  • Standard music theory texts — Widely taught fundamentals of pitch, rhythm, and notation.
  • Western tonal harmony conventions — Established rules for chord construction, voice leading, and key relationships.
  • Interval and chord construction standards — The conventional spelling of intervals, triads, sevenths, and extensions.
  • Scale and mode theory — The common derivation of major, minor, pentatonic, blues, and modal scales.
  • Piano pedagogy and technique references — Long-standing practices for fingering, hand position, and practice.

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