Piano chord
D♭5 Power Chord
D♭5 is a power chord built on D♭. It contains the notes D♭ – A♭.
D♭5
Also written: D♭(no3), C♯5
- D♭
- A♭
Notes in D♭5
Count up from D♭ using the intervals below. The formula shows each note relative to the D♭ major scale.
| Notes | Intervals | Formula | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| D♭ | Root | 1 | 0 |
| A♭ | Perfect 5th | 5 | 7 |
How to play D♭5 on piano
- Right hand: thumb on D♭, 4th or 5th finger on the 5th above it.
- Left hand: 5th finger on D♭, thumb on the 5th — or add the octave for a bigger sound.
- Leave out the 3rd on purpose: that is what makes it a power chord.
D♭5 inversions
An inversion puts a different note of D♭5 at the bottom. The notes stay the same, the colour and voice leading change.
Root position
D♭5D♭ – A♭
1st inversion
D♭5/A♭A♭ – D♭
About power chord chords
Just the root and the 5th — no 3rd, so it is neither major nor minor. On piano it gives a hollow, powerful sound in the left hand; on guitar it is the backbone of rock.
Sound: Raw & powerful
Songs that use it
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · NirvanaGrunge
- Smoke on the Water · Deep PurpleRock
Keys that contain D♭5
D♭5 is built only from notes of these keys. The Roman numeral shows its role in each key.
Hear D♭5 with different sounds and compare it with other chords in the interactive builder.
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