Ukulele · Level 4 · Beginner
Dominant seventh chords in D♭ major on Ukulele
Don’t just read about Dominant seventh chords in D♭ major. Play it.
Create a free TempoJam account in 30 seconds. Then try the tuner, metronome and Jam Room free for 14 days and record your first take tonight.
Adding a flat seventh to a major chord gives the bluesy, restless sound of a dominant seventh. Blues players often use it on every chord.
D♭7
Notes: D♭ · F · A♭ · C♭
G♭7
Notes: G♭ · B♭ · D♭ · F♭
A♭7
Notes: A♭ · C · E♭ · G♭
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: D♭7, G♭7 and A♭7. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Use light pressure; the ukulele's nylon strings need far less force than steel.
- Set the tempo to 57 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Find the seventh in each shape and make sure it is actually sounding.
- Strum down on every beat, then add an up-strum between beats with a loose wrist.
- Raise the tempo to 76 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
- Record one take, listen back and check for the slight bite of the seventh against the root.
Listen for
Aim for the slight bite of the seventh against the root. A common mistake is leaving out the seventh so the chord sounds plain major.
Why it works
A dominant seventh contains a tritone between its third and seventh, which creates the urge to resolve.
D♭ major has 5 flats; its relative minor key is B♭ minor.
Questions
What are the chords in I7–IV7–V7 in D♭ major?
In D♭ major the progression is D♭7 | D♭7 | G♭7 | G♭7 | D♭7 | D♭7 | A♭7 | D♭7.
What is the key signature of D♭ major?
D♭ major has 5 flats. Its relative minor is B♭ minor.
Is this lesson right for my level?
This is a level 4 lesson (beginner). If it feels too hard, start with “The minor pop progression”.
Your hands learn faster than your eyes.
Reading a chord chart is step one. Play it to a metronome, record it, and hear yourself get better, all in one app.
Start practising free