D flat major scale
The D♭ major scale is D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭. It has 5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭), its relative minor is B♭ minor, and the standard piano fingering is 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 in the right hand and 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 in the left hand.
D flat major scale notes
The D♭ major scale has seven notes before the tonic repeats: D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭. Five of the seven are black keys on the piano (D♭, E♭, G♭, A♭ and B♭); the other two are white keys.
The step pattern is W W H W W W H (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between F and G♭ and C and D♭.
| Degree | Name | Note | Solfège (movable do) | Piano key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | D♭ | do | Black |
| 2 | Supertonic | E♭ | re | Black |
| 3 | Mediant | F | mi | White |
| 4 | Subdominant | G♭ | fa | Black |
| 5 | Dominant | A♭ | sol | Black |
| 6 | Submediant | B♭ | la | Black |
| 7 | Leading tone | C | ti | White |
D flat major key signature
The D♭ major key signature has 5 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭, written in that order at the start of every line. Flats are always added in the order B, E, A, D, G, C, F. B♭ minor shares this signature.
On the treble staff, the flats sit B♭ on the third line from the bottom, E♭ in the fourth space from the bottom, A♭ in the second space from the bottom, D♭ on the fourth line from the bottom and G♭ on the second line from the bottom.
Shortcut: the second to last flat, D♭, names the major key (D♭ major).
D flat major sounds the same as C♯ major, which is written with 7 sharps. The piano keys are identical; only the spelling changes, and most music uses the spelling with fewer accidentals.
D flat major scale fingering
| Hand | Notes (ascending) | Fingers |
|---|---|---|
| Right hand | D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭ | 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 |
| Left hand | D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭ | 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 |
Right hand going up: E♭ (finger 3) to F (finger 1), the thumb passes under; then B♭ (finger 4) to C (finger 1), the thumb passes under. Left hand going up: F (finger 1) to G♭ (finger 4), the finger passes over the thumb; then C (finger 1) to D♭ (finger 3), the finger passes over the thumb. Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) in both hands.
The thumb stays on white keys in both hands; the black keys go to the longer fingers. For two octaves and the descending pattern, open the free piano scale fingering tool linked below.
Chords in D flat major
Building a triad on each note of the scale gives the seven chords of D♭ major. The primary chords are D♭ (I), G♭ (IV) and A♭ (V).
| Degree | Triad | Notes | Seventh chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | D♭ | D♭ F A♭ | D♭maj7 | D♭ F A♭ C |
| ii | E♭m | E♭ G♭ B♭ | E♭m7 | E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭ |
| iii | Fm | F A♭ C | Fm7 | F A♭ C E♭ |
| IV | G♭ | G♭ B♭ D♭ | G♭maj7 | G♭ B♭ D♭ F |
| V | A♭ | A♭ C E♭ | A♭7 | A♭ C E♭ G♭ |
| vi | B♭m | B♭ D♭ F | B♭m7 | B♭ D♭ F A♭ |
| vii° | C° | C E♭ G♭ | Cm7♭5 | C E♭ G♭ B♭ |
One of the most common progressions in pop music, I V vi IV, is D♭, A♭, B♭m, G♭ in D♭ major. A ii V I cadence is E♭m7, A♭7, D♭maj7.
Reading D flat major on the staff
D flat major (five flats) sounds the same as C sharp major (seven sharps). Composers and publishers usually prefer D flat, because five flats are easier to read than seven sharps.
On the treble staff, D♭4 to D♭5 needs no ledger lines. On the bass staff, D♭3 to D♭4 needs 1 ledger line above the staff.
The reading trap in D♭ major is the key signature: the flats are written once at the start of the line, not next to the notes. Before you play, say the altered notes out loud (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭), then check every B, E, A, D and G on the page.
How to practise the D flat major scale
- Say the notes before you play them: D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭.
- Play hands separately, one octave, at a slow steady pulse (60 beats per minute, one note per beat), using 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 in the right hand and 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 in the left.
- Stop on each thumb crossing and check the next finger is already over its key before you move.
- Add the descending scale with the same fingers in reverse, then go to two octaves.
- Put the hands together only when each hand can play it three times in a row without a stop, then raise the tempo by about 8 beats per minute at a time.
- Finish with the primary chords: D♭ (D♭ F A♭), G♭ (G♭ B♭ D♭) and A♭ (A♭ C E♭).
Clef, our iPhone and iPad app, drills major scales, triads and arpeggios with its on-screen controls or a connected MIDI keyboard, then brings each one back on a spaced schedule so it stays learned.
Keys related to D flat major
- B flat minor scale: relative minor, same key signature
- D flat minor scale (same keys as C sharp minor): parallel minor, same tonic
- A flat major scale: a fifth above, 4 flats
- G flat major scale (same keys as F sharp major): a fifth below, 6 flats
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the D flat major scale?
The D♭ major scale is D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭, then D♭ again an octave higher.
How many flats are in D flat major?
D flat major has 5 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭.
What is the relative minor of D flat major?
B♭ minor. It uses the same key signature and the same notes, starting on B♭.
What chords are in D flat major?
D♭ (I), E♭m (ii), Fm (iii), G♭ (IV), A♭ (V), B♭m (vi), C° (vii°).
What is the fingering for the D flat major scale on piano?
Right hand 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 going up from D♭; left hand 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 going up. Reverse the numbers to come down.