D♭7

Sign up free to save favorites

100% free. No credit card required.

D♭ Dominant 7th Arpeggio

– – –

Formula R – 3 – 5 – ♭7

The D♭ Dominant 7th Arpeggio arpeggio outlines the notes D♭, F, A♭, B across the entire fretboard. Playing these 4 notes individually creates melodic lines that follow the chord shape. Contains 2 flatted notes.

The dominant 7th is the chord that creates the strongest pull toward resolution in music. It has a restless, bluesy edge that comes from the tension between the 3rd and the flat 7th. In blues, every chord is a dominant 7th — that's what gives the genre its gritty sound.

Theory

The formula is R, 3, 5, ♭7 — a major triad with a lowered 7th. The interval between the 3rd and the ♭7 is inherently unstable and wants to resolve, which is why the dominant 7th works so well as the 5th chord in any key, pushing back to the tonic. In blues, all three main chords are dominant 7ths, which gives the genre its characteristic unresolved tension.

On the guitar

Open E7, A7, B7, and D7 are essential shapes every guitarist needs. The E-shape barre chord is probably the most useful movable dominant form — slide it to the 5th fret for A7, 7th fret for B7. Funk players slide into D7 and E9 shapes with percussive 16th-note strumming for that choppy rhythmic attack. Drop 2 and Drop 3 voicings on the inner strings give you clean jazz comping options.

Advanced

Dominant 7ths are the gateway to jazz harmony — tritone substitutions, altered dominants, and extended progressions all start here. The Hendrix chord (7♯9) is an altered dominant that launched a whole subgenre of guitar playing. Try substituting a dominant 7th built 6 frets away (D♭7 for G7) to add chromatic sophistication to your progressions.

Piano