D♭5 (D♭5)

Also called C♯5 (C♯5).

A power chord: just the root and the fifth, no third. Neither major nor minor, it sounds huge with distortion and slides around the neck as one block.

It’s played as a movable shape, starting at the 4th fret. With no third, D♭5 can stand in for D♭ major or C♯ minor, especially in rock.

Notes:: D♭, A♭.
Formula:: 1, 5.
Difficulty:: Intermediate.
Strings played:: 3 (A, D, G).

Chord diagram

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--6--|
D|--6--|
A|--4--|
E|--x--|

Other positions

e|--x---|
B|--x---|
G|--x---|
D|--11--|
A|--11--|
E|--9---|

Capo tip: put the capo at the 4th fret and play the A5 shape: you hear D♭5, with no barre.The capo

Often played with

The chords in its key, the ones you hear most often around D♭5.

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--x--|
D|--4--|
A|--4--|
E|--2--|

F♯5IV

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--x--|
D|--6--|
A|--6--|
E|--4--|

A♭5V

e|--x--|
B|--x--|
G|--4--|
D|--4--|
A|--2--|
E|--x--|

B5♭VII