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D♭ Major Scale – Guitar

The seven-note scale everything else is measured against: do-re-mi on the guitar neck. Here it is in D♭: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.

Notes in the D♭ major scale

Formula: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7. Use it to solo over songs in D♭ major.

Same seven notes as the B♭ natural minor scale (its relative minor).

D♭ major scale on the whole neck

EADGBe123456789101112131415FGbAbBbCEbFGbBbCEbFGbAbBbCEbFGbAbBbCEbFAbBbCEbFGbAbBbCEbFGbAbBbCFGbAbBbCEbFGb
Db Major Scale on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (Db).
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The 5 boxes (positions) with TAB

Each box is one hand position. Learn Box 1 first: play it up with the TAB, then back down, then move to the next box – together they cover the whole neck.

Box 1 · frets 7–12

EADGBe789101112CEbFGbAbBbCEbFGbGbAbBbCEb
Db Major Scale, box 1
e|----------------------------------------------8--9--11-|
B|-------------------------------------7--9--11----------|
G|----------------------------8--10-11-------------------|
D|-------------------8--10-11----------------------------|
A|----------8--9--11-------------------------------------|
E|-8--9--11----------------------------------------------|

Box 2 · frets 9–15

EADGBe9101112131415EbFGbGbAbBbCCEbFFGbAbBbAbBbCEbFGb
Db Major Scale, box 2
e|-------------------------------------------------------------9--11-13-14-|
B|-------------------------------------------------9--11-13-14-------------|
G|-------------------------------------10-11-13-15-------------------------|
D|-------------------------10-11-13-15-------------------------------------|
A|-------------9--11-13-15-------------------------------------------------|
E|-9--11-13-14-------------------------------------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 1–5

EADGBe12345FGbAbBbCEbFGbAbBbCCEbFGbAb
Db Major Scale, box 3
e|-------------------------------1-2-4-|
B|-------------------------1-2-4-------|
G|-------------------1-3-5-------------|
D|-------------1-3-4-------------------|
A|-------1-3-4-------------------------|
E|-1-2-4-------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 2–7

EADGBe234567GbAbBbCEbFGbAbBbCEbFGbGbAbBb
Db Major Scale, box 4
e|---------------------------------2-4-6-|
B|-------------------------2-4-6-7-------|
G|-------------------3-5-6---------------|
D|-------------3-4-6---------------------|
A|-------3-4-6---------------------------|
E|-2-4-6---------------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 5–10

EADGBe5678910BbCEbFGbAbBbCCEbFFGbAbBbC
Db Major Scale, box 5
e|-------------------------------------------------6--8--9--|
B|----------------------------------------6--7--9-----------|
G|----------------------------5--6--8--10-------------------|
D|-------------------6--8--10-------------------------------|
A|----------6--8--9-----------------------------------------|
E|-6--8--9--------------------------------------------------|

D♭ major backing track

Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.

Dreamy Mellow Guitar Backing Track in C# Major – Jam'in Backing Tracks

Songs in D♭ major

These songs are in D♭ major, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:

All songs in D♭ major →

Other scales in D♭

Major Scale in other keys

Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.

FAQ

What notes are in the Db major scale?

Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C. The formula is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.

Where do I start playing the Db major scale on guitar?

Start with Box 1, frets 7–12. The root note Db is on the low E string at fret 9.

What is the relative minor of Db major?

Bb minor – it uses the same notes.