Db5 chord (D flat power chord) on bass
Db5 (D flat power chord) has two notes: D flat and A flat. Its formula is 1, 5.
How to play Db5 on bass
Low notes close together sound muddy, so bass players spread a chord out and leave notes out. Forms with a 3rd or 7th sound clear from about the E string's 8th fret up, so they start there; root and 5th stays low. These forms put the root on the E string; the same shapes work from the A string.
Fingers: 1 on E, 3 on A.
Fingers: 1 on E, 3 on A, 3 on D.
Hear it and see every shape in ScaleSpace →
| Symbol | Db5 |
|---|---|
| Also written | Db(no3) |
| Notes | Db Ab |
| Formula | 1 5 |
| Intervals | root, perfect fifth |
| Type | Power chord chord |
Db5 across the neck
Bass · 4-string, tuned low to high: E, A, D, G. 24 frets.
- E string: fret 4 Ab (5), fret 9 Db (1), fret 16 Ab (5), fret 21 Db (1).
- A string: fret 4 Db (1), fret 11 Ab (5), fret 16 Db (1), fret 23 Ab (5).
- D string: fret 6 Ab (5), fret 11 Db (1), fret 18 Ab (5), fret 23 Db (1).
- G string: fret 1 Ab (5), fret 6 Db (1), fret 13 Ab (5), fret 18 Db (1).
Swipe the chart sideways to see all of it.
Questions
What notes are in the Db5 chord?
Db5 (D flat power chord) has two notes: D flat and A flat. Its formula is 1, 5. Db is the root and Ab is the perfect fifth.
How do you play Db5 on bass?
Bass players spread it out rather than strum it. The simplest form is the root and 5th: 1 5, root on the E string, fret 9. Fingers: 1 on E, 3 on A.
Is Db5 major or minor?
Neither. Db5 is only the root and the 5th, Db and Ab, with no 3rd, so it fits under both Db and C#m. That is why it sounds clean with distortion.