The D♭ Minor 7th chord is a four-note chord made up of D♭, F♭, A♭, and C♭. It is built from a root, minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh.
Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| D♭ | Root | 1 |
| F♭ | Minor 3rd | ♭3 |
| A♭ | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| C♭ | Minor 7th | ♭7 |
D♭ Minor 7th Inversions
| Position | Notes |
|---|---|
| Root Position | D♭ – F♭ – A♭ – C♭ |
| 1st Inversion | F♭ – A♭ – C♭ – D♭ |
| 2nd Inversion | A♭ – C♭ – D♭ – F♭ |
| 3rd Inversion | C♭ – D♭ – F♭ – A♭ |
Key Signature
A chord has no key signature of its own, but the D♭ Minor 7th is the tonic (i) chord of Db Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, E Major — 4 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯).
Order of sharps
Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.
Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle
Chords in the Key of D♭ Minor
These are the triads built on each degree of the D♭ minor scale:
How D♭ Minor 7th functions in a key
The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where D♭ Minor 7th sits diatonically across the common keys:
- In C♭ major, D♭ Minor 7th is the ii chord — a predominant.
- In A♭ minor, D♭ Minor 7th is the iv chord — a predominant.
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: