# D♭ Minor piano chord (D♭m)

D♭m contains D♭, F♭ and A♭. A minor third with a perfect fifth above the root. D♭ and A♭ are black keys; F♭ is white.

- Canonical page: https://piano.org/chords/minor/d-flat/
- Entity: chord:minor:d-flat
- Notes: D♭ F♭ A♭
- Formula: 1 ♭3 5
- Intervals from root: P1, m3, P5
- Interval stack (semitones): 3 4
- Also written: D♭m, Dbm, D♭ minor
- Parameters: A440, 12-TET, 165 mm octave, spans centre to centre

## Construction

| Degree | Note | Interval from root | Semitones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | D♭ | Perfect unison | 0 |
| ♭3 | F♭ | Minor third | 3 |
| 5 | A♭ | Perfect fifth | 7 |

## Fingering

Rest your right hand over the notes with finger 1 on D♭, finger 3 on F♭, finger 5 on A♭. The left hand mirrors it.
Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. Source: piano.org fingering method v1.

## Inversions

| Position | Bass | Notes in order | Figured bass | Span |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Root position | D♭ | D♭3 F♭3 A♭3 | 5/3 | 7 st, 96 mm |
| First inversion (D♭m/F♭) | F♭ | F♭3 A♭3 D♭4 | 6/3 | 9 st, 124 mm |
| Second inversion (D♭m/A♭) | A♭ | A♭3 D♭4 F♭4 | 6/4 | 8 st, 110 mm |

## Voicings (5)

| Voicing | Notes | Span | Relation | Omits or adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Close, root position | D♭3 F♭3 A♭3 | 7 st, 96 mm | identical | none |
| Close, first inversion | F♭3 A♭3 D♭4 | 9 st, 124 mm | identical | none |
| Close, second inversion | A♭3 D♭4 F♭4 | 8 st, 110 mm | identical | none |
| Open, fifth on top | D♭2 A♭2 F♭3 | 15 st, 206 mm | identical | none |
| Root and third only | D♭3 F♭3 | 3 st, 41 mm | subset | omits A♭ |

## Diatonic function by key

| Key | Roman numeral | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C♯ minor | i | Tonic, home |
| E major | vi | Tonic substitute |
| F♯ minor | v | Minor dominant |
| G♯ minor | iv | Subdominant |
| A major | iii | Tonic substitute |
| B major | ii | Predominant |

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

## Progressions (9)

| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ii°, v, i | C♯ minor | i | D♯dim to G♯m to C♯m | 1 tone held from G♯m |
| iv, i | C♯ minor | i | F♯m to C♯m | 1 tone held from F♯m |
| i, ♭VI, ii°, v | C♯ minor | i | C♯m to A to D♯dim to G♯m | D♭m opens the phrase |
| vi, IV, I, V | E major | vi | C♯m to A to E to B | D♭m opens the phrase |
| I, vi | E major | vi | E to C♯m | 2 tones held from E |
| v, i | F♯ minor | v | C♯m to F♯m | D♭m opens the phrase |
| ii°, v, i | F♯ minor | v | G♯dim to C♯m to F♯m | 1 tone held from G♯dim |
| iv, v, i | G♯ minor | iv | C♯m to D♯m to G♯m | D♭m opens the phrase |
| i, iv | G♯ minor | iv | G♯m to C♯m | 1 tone held from G♯m |

## One-edit neighbors

| Becomes | Edit | Changes | Common tones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| D♭m7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | adds C♭ | 3 |
| D♭mMaj7 | 1 ♭3 5 7 | adds C | 3 |
| D♭m6 | 1 ♭3 5 6 | adds B♭ | 3 |
| D♭ | 1 3 5 | F♭ becomes F | 2 |
| D♭dim | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | A♭ becomes A♭♭ | 2 |
| D♭sus2 | 1 2 5 | F♭ becomes E♭ | 2 |
| D♭sus4 | 1 4 5 | F♭ becomes G♭ | 2 |
| D♭maj7 | 1 3 5 7 | F♭ becomes F, C | 2 |
| D♭7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | F♭ becomes F, C♭ | 2 |
| D♭m7♭5 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 | A♭ becomes A♭♭, C♭ | 2 |
| D♭dim7 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 | A♭ becomes A♭♭, C♭♭ | 2 |
| D♭7sus4 | 1 4 5 ♭7 | F♭ becomes G♭, C♭ | 2 |

## Set theory

- Absolute pitch classes: {1, 4, 8}
- Relative pitch classes: [0, 3, 7]
- Normal order: [1, 4, 8]
- Prime form: (037)
- Forte number: 3-11
- Interval vector: <001110>

## Frequencies (close root position)

| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| D♭3 | 49 | 138.59 Hz |
| F♭3 | 52 | 164.81 Hz |
| A♭3 | 56 | 207.65 Hz |

## Questions and answers

### What notes are in D♭m?

D♭m contains D♭, F♭ and A♭. The formula is 1, ♭3, 5.

### How do you play D♭m on piano?

Play D♭, F♭ and A♭ together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. D♭ and A♭ are black keys; F♭ is white.

### What are the inversions of D♭m?

3 positions: root position D♭ F♭ A♭, D♭m/F♭, D♭m/A♭.

### What keys contain D♭m?

6: i in C♯ minor, vi in E major, v in F♯ minor, iv in G♯ minor, iii in A major, ii in B major.

### What is the difference between D♭m and D♭m7?

Adds C♭. 3 of the notes are shared.

### What is an easy D♭m for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, D♭3 F♭3, spans 3 semitones or about 41 mm.

### What are the frequencies of D♭m?

From D♭3 at A440 in 12-TET: 138.59, 164.81, 207.65 Hz.

### What is the set class of D♭m?

Prime form (037), Forte 3-11, interval vector &lt;001110&gt;.

### How do I transpose D♭m to another key?

Keep the 1, ♭3, 5 formula on the new root. Cm is C, E♭, G; C♯m is C♯, E, G♯.

### Is C♯m the same as D♭m?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

## Provenance

Every derived value above is computed by the piano.org theory kernel from the root, the quality and the stated parameters. Nothing is hand-entered per chord.

Machine record: https://piano.org/api/knowledge/v1/entities/chord:minor:d-flat
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12