Looking to play the D flat minor chord? Then look no further!
In this free guitar lesson you will learn:
- 5 super-simple versions of the D flat minor chord.
- 2 tips and tricks to learn chords quickly.
- The secret to boosting your guitar progress.
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What’s a D Flat Minor Chord?
A D flat minor chord is a:
- Minor chord in the key of D flat.
Guitar chords can be broken up into two sections, major and minor.
In music, there are 12 different keys.
For today’s chord lesson, we’re going to be learning a D flat minor chord.
Fun Fact!
Often in music, you will see this sign, ‘b’. You pronounce this as ‘flat’.
For example, ‘Db Guitar Chord’ would be pronounced, ‘D Flat Guitar Chord’
Want to learn other chords? Go here: 14 Easy Chords For Beginners
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What are the most popular ways to play a D Flat Minor Chord?
The two most popular ways to play a D flat minor chord are:
- D Flat Minor Chord (E Barre Shape)
- D Flat Minor Chord (A Barre Shape)
Barre chords are tricky. If you don’t know how to play barre chords, watch this video:
D Flat Minor Chord (E Shape)
In the guitar world, barre chords are based on open chords.
For this example, we refer to this chord as the ‘E Shape’ because the main structure of the chord is based on an Em chord.
Learn an Em chord here: Easy Ways To Play An Em Chord
To find the root note of the chord, go to the:
- 9th fret on the 6th string (Low E string) and 1st string. (High E string.)
- 11th fret on the 5th string. (D string.)
(If you don't understand the above image please read our article "How To Read Guitar Chordboxes In 60 Seconds". It will make everything clear!)
- Place your first finger across all the strings on the 9th fret.
- Find the 11th fret of the A string. (5th string.) Fret this note with your 3rd finger.
- Find the 11th fret of the D string. (4th string.) Fret this note with your 4th finger.
Barre chords can be tough, so don’t worry if you can’t play this chord on your first go. It takes practice!
D Flat Minor Chord (A Shape)
In the guitar world, we refer to this barre chord as the ‘A shape’ because this chord is based off an Am chord.
Learn an Am chord here:Am Guitar Chord For Beginners
Find the root note of this chord on the following frets:
- 4th fret, A string. (5th string.)
- 6th fret, G string. (3rd string.)
- Start your barre on the A string. (5th string) and finish it on the high E string. (1st string.)
- Find the 6th fret of the D string. (4th string.) Fret this note with your 4th finger.
- Find the 6th fret of the G string. (3rd string.) Fret this note with your 3rd finger.
- Find the 5th fret of the B string. (2nd string.) Fret this note with your 2nd finger.
Now we’ve learned the two most common versions of a D flat minor chord, let’s learn some easy versions.
1) Db/E
This D flat minor chord is a great chord for new guitarists. Here’s why:
- You only need to stretch across two frets on the guitar!
- No tough stretches here, just use 3 fingers to play this chord.
- You don’t need to do much string skipping, you can strum as you please.
- Find the 2nd fret of the D string. (4th string.) Fret this note with your 2nd finger.
- Find the 1st fret of the G string. (3rd string.) Fret this note with your 1st finger.
- Find the 2nd fret of the B string. (2nd string.) Fret this note with your 3rd finger.
Guitar playing feels amazing, find out why in this article by Guitar World: 10 Reasons Playing Guitar Is Good For Your Mind And Body
2) Db minor 7
If you’re an acoustic guitarist, this D flat minor chord sounds fantastic.
- Find the 4th fret of the A string. (5th string.) Fret this note with your 3rd finger.
- Find the 2nd fret of the D string. (4th string.) Fret this note with your 1st finger.
- Find the 4th fret of the G stirng. (3rd string.) Fret this note with your 4th finger.
To learn more amazing acoustic guitar chords, go here: 6 Amazing Chords For Acoustic Guitars
3) D Flat Minor (Basic Triad)
Here are few reasons why this chord is the perfect beginner D flat minor chord:
- You only need 3 fingers to play it.
- It’s great for boosting your finger technique and dexterity.
- It has plenty of top end sparkle, perfect for creating lovely textures.
- Find the 6th fret of the G string. (3rd string.) Fret this note with your 3rd finger.
- Find the 5th fret of the B string. (2nd string.) Fret this note with your 2nd finger.
- Find the 4th fret of the high E string. (1st string.) Fret this note with your 1st finger.
4) Dbm/Ab
This D flat minor chord bridges the gap between stepping-stone chords and barre chords.
If you found the other versions of D flat minor too easy, this chord might be perfect for you.
- Find the 6th fret of the D string. (4th string.) Fret note note with your 4th finger.
- Find the 6th fret of the G string. (3rd string.) Fret this note with your 3rd finger.
- Find the 5th fret of the B string. (2nd string.) Fret this note with your 2nd finger.
- Find the 4th fret of the high E string. (1st string.) Fret this note with your 1st finger.
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How do I learn chords quickly?
The quickest way to learn guitar chords is to learn easy versions of standard open chords.
These are known as ‘stepping-stone’ chords.
Check out these classic examples of stepping-stone chords.
Can you see how these chords use less notes? They’re SO much easier to play.
Learn how to play stepping-stone chords here: 14 Easy Beginner Guitar Chords
Why should I learn easy versions of chords? Isn’t it better to learn harder chords?
Think of it like this:
Imagine you’re training for a marathon. When you start your training, you begin with small distances and gradually increase this until you reach your goal.
When learning guitar chords, you do the EXACT same thing. Start with easy chords first. Once your technique has improved, try and reach for more advanced chords.
When you learn guitar, you must go at your own pace. Don’t try and push yourself if you’re not ready.
Secret Chord Tricks
Here are a few simple chord tricks which will help you master guitar chords.
Chord Trick #1 Play Chords With The Tips Of Your Fingers
The best way to gain clarity when playing chords is to use your finger tips. Try and fret chords as close to your nail as possible. (Make sure it doesn’t hurt!)
Chord Trick #2 Move Your Wrist Freely Around The Neck
When playing chords, never keep your wrist in one place. If you keep it stuck in one place, your chords will feel rigid.
Let your wrist naturally move around the neck. This will help with chord clarity.
Chord Trick #3 Squeeze Your Hand When You Play a Chord Correctly
This technique allows you to master guitar chords. Squeezing your hand engages your muscle memory and helps you remember chords faster.
However, make sure your chord is right. If it isn’t, you will remember the chord incorrectly.
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