Db Minor Guitar Chord (Dbm)
The Db Minor chord (Dbm) is built from the notes Db, E, and Ab: the R, b3, 5 of Db. Below are the five ways to play Dbm on guitar, laid out in order from the lowest position on the neck to the highest.
A minor chord is darker and more reflective than major, the other half of most music. The lowest shape starts around fret 1, and Dbm appears in four more positions higher up the neck.
Notes in Dbm
How to play Dbm: five positions
Strings run low E to high e, left to right. Dots are finger positions, a ringed dot is the root (Db), an × means don't play that string, and the label on the right (like "11fr") is the starting fret. Under each shape are the notes it sounds and their role in the chord.
Hear it and explore other chords →
The free interactive Chord Library lets you switch roots and flavors instantly and see every voicing update live.
Other Db chords
The minor chord in other keys
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the Db Minor chord?
- The Db Minor chord (Dbm) contains the notes Db, E, and Ab. Those are the R, b3, 5 of Db, so the chord is Db (the root), E (the flat third), and Ab (the fifth).
- How do you play Dbm on guitar?
- There are five ways to play Dbm, one for each CAGED shape. The lowest shape starts around fret 1, and Dbm appears in four more positions higher up the neck. A nearby voicing often makes an awkward chord change much easier, so if one shape fights you, try the next one up or down the neck.
- What does a Dbm chord sound like?
- A minor chord is darker and more reflective than major, the other half of most music. You can hear Dbm and any progression built from it in the free interactive tools on this site.
- Is Dbm a hard chord to play?
- Dbm has no open shape in standard tuning, so it is usually played as a barre chord. That takes a little hand strength, but the shape is movable: learn it once and you can slide it to other roots.