Db Major
Key Signature
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Tonic | Db |
| Mode | Major |
| Accidentals | 5 flats |
| Key Signature Notes | Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb |
Db major has five flats and is enharmonically equivalent to C# major. It has a warm, veiled quality and appears in Romantic piano literature and jazz compositions.
Diatonic Chords
The seven diatonic chords of Db Major — each built on a scale degree using only the notes of the key signature:
| Degree | Roman Numeral | Chord Type | Chord |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | Major | Db Major |
| 2 | ii | Minor | Eb Minor |
| 3 | iii | Minor | F Minor |
| 4 | IV | Major | Gb Major |
| 5 | V | Major | Ab Major |
| 6 | vi | Minor | Bb Minor |
| 7 | vii° | Diminished | C Diminished |
Related Keys
- Relative Minor
- Bb Minor — shares the same key signature.
- Parallel Minor
- Db Minor — same tonic, different key signature.
See all key relationships on the Circle of Fifths.
Scales in Db Major
Common scales built from the Db tonic:
Transposing Instrument Context
Bb instruments (trumpet, clarinet, tenor saxophone) read in Eb major to sound Db Major. Eb instruments (alto saxophone, Eb clarinet) read in Bb major to sound Db Major. Flat-key signatures are particularly comfortable for woodwind instruments designed around Bb and Eb transpositions.