How to play D♭ minor 7th flat 5 chord on guitar
Shape x42423
Shape characteristics
Closed voicing
Every sounding string is fretted, with no open strings. Tight, controllable tone that responds well to palm muting and dynamic picking.
First position · fret 2-4
Sits near the nut where frets are widest. Lower string tension makes it easier to fret cleanly, a comfortable choice for singer-songwriter strumming and beginner-friendly progressions.
Five-string voicing
One string muted. Keeps a full low end without overlapping awkwardly with a bassist or second guitar.
Bass: D♭ · Top: A♭♭
The root is in the bass, so the chord sounds grounded and stable. This is the natural starting voicing for most progressions.
Compared to Shape x42000 , this voicing uses an open chord.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the 2nd string and 4th string in barre position
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 3rd fret of the 1st string
- 3 Place the 3rd finger on the 4th fret of the 5th string
- 4 Place the 4th finger on the 4th fret of the 3rd string
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "x42423" mean?
The sequence x42423 is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.
- x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
- 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
- 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
- a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).
Can I play this D♭ minor 7th flat 5 shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a D♭ minor 7th flat 5 chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for D♭ minor 7th flat 5. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
Why do some strings have an 'x'?
Strings marked with an 'x' should not ring out. These notes are excluded because they don't belong to the D♭ minor 7th flat 5 chord or would clash with this specific voicing. You can mute these strings by lightly touching them with a finger that is already pressing a neighboring fret.
Other shapes
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