What notes are in a D♭6 chord?

D♭6 contains four notes: D♭ (root), F (major third), A♭ (perfect fifth), and B♭ (major sixth).

Is D♭6 the same as B♭ minor 7?

Enharmonically yes — same four pitches. D♭6 has D♭ as root (major-flavoured tonic); B♭m7 has B♭ as root (minor 7th with different function).

How is D♭6 different from D♭maj7?

Only the top note changes. D♭6 has B♭ (major sixth); D♭maj7 has C (major seventh). D♭6 sounds gentler; D♭maj7 has more harmonic richness.

When is D♭6 used in jazz?

As a final tonic chord in D♭-major ballads, as a substitute for plain D♭ in bossa-nova progressions, and in any context where the soft landing of a 6 chord is preferred over the more pungent maj7.

Db major 6 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

D♭6 — D♭, F, A♭, B♭ — is a D♭ major triad with an added major sixth. The chord sits comfortably in flat-side jazz; many ballads in D♭ major use D♭6 as a final tonic chord. It's enharmonic to B♭ minor 7, which shares the same four pitches.

Intervals

The Db major 6 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

Db→Fmajor 3rd4 semitones
F→Abminor 3rd3 semitones
Ab→Bbmajor 2nd2 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the Db major 6 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the Db major 6 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

D♭6 uses three flats (D♭, A♭, B♭) plus F natural — a comfortable spelling for jazz musicians used to flat keys. Don't confuse D♭6 with D♭maj7: D♭6 has B♭ on top; D♭maj7 has C on top. The half-step difference completely changes the chord's character.

In context

D♭6 functions as a tonic chord in D♭ major, often substituted for plain D♭ or D♭maj7 for a softer landing. Many bossa-nova tunes that modulate to D♭ use D♭6 throughout the D♭ section because the chord's mellow colour suits the genre.

Drill it

The Db major 6 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in a D♭6 chord?: D♭6 contains four notes: D♭ (root), F (major third), A♭ (perfect fifth), and B♭ (major sixth).
Is D♭6 the same as B♭ minor 7?: Enharmonically yes — same four pitches. D♭6 has D♭ as root (major-flavoured tonic); B♭m7 has B♭ as root (minor 7th with different function).
How is D♭6 different from D♭maj7?: Only the top note changes. D♭6 has B♭ (major sixth); D♭maj7 has C (major seventh). D♭6 sounds gentler; D♭maj7 has more harmonic richness.
When is D♭6 used in jazz?: As a final tonic chord in D♭-major ballads, as a substitute for plain D♭ in bossa-nova progressions, and in any context where the soft landing of a 6 chord is preferred over the more pungent maj7.