What are the notes in the D♭ major scale?

D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C.

What is the relative minor of D♭ major?

B♭ minor — same five-flat key signature.

What are the chords in the key of D♭ major?

D♭ major (I), E♭ minor (ii), F minor (iii), G♭ major (IV), A♭ major (V), B♭ minor (vi), and C diminished (vii°).

Key of Db major — notes, key signature, and chords

D♭ major has five flats — B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, and G♭ — and sits five counter-clockwise steps from C on the circle of fifths. It's the enharmonic equivalent of C# major (which has seven sharps), and almost all music in this pitch is written in D♭ instead. Pianists love it because the hand falls naturally across black keys.

Key signature

5flats

1.B♭
2.E♭
3.A♭
4.D♭
5.G♭

Added in the standard order of flats.

Diatonic chords

The seven triads built on each scale degree. These are the chords you hear used most in Db major:

Roman	Chord	Quality	Notes
I	Db	major	Db · F · Ab
ii	Ebm	minor	Eb · Gb · Bb
iii	Fm	minor	F · Ab · C
IV	Gb	major	Gb · Bb · Db
V	Ab	major	Ab · C · Eb
vi	Bbm	minor	Bb · Db · F
vii°	C°	diminished	C · Eb · Gb

Common progressions

I–V–vi–IV in D♭ is D♭–A♭–B♭m–G♭. The ii–V–I is E♭m–A♭–D♭. D♭ is a common key for rich, lush ballads — Sondheim wrote frequently in five-flat territory, and it's a favourite for orchestral horns and warm string writing.

Relative minor

The relative minor of Db major is Bb minor — it shares the same key signature, just centred on the 6th degree of the Db major scale (Bb). A piece can move between Db major and Bb minor freely without any change of accidentals.

Common mistakes

The five flats are B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭ — the trap for sight-readers is the G♭ (the 4th degree). Don't mix up D♭ major (five flats) with D major (two sharps); they sound a half-step apart but their signatures look completely different.

Drill it

The Circle of Fifths trainer drills every key signature — Db major included — with timed flash cards and best-time tracking.

Open the Circle of Fifths Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzle

Frequently asked

How many flats does D♭ major have?: D♭ major has five flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, and G♭.
What are the notes in the D♭ major scale?: D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C.
What is the relative minor of D♭ major?: B♭ minor — same five-flat key signature.
What are the chords in the key of D♭ major?: D♭ major (I), E♭ minor (ii), F minor (iii), G♭ major (IV), A♭ major (V), B♭ minor (vi), and C diminished (vii°).