Db Bebop Major Scale
Notes in the Db Bebop Major Scale
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | Db | 277.183 Hz |
| 2 | Supertonic | Eb | 311.127 Hz |
| 3 | Mediant | F | 349.228 Hz |
| 4 | Subdominant | Gb | 369.994 Hz |
| 5 | Dominant | Ab | 415.305 Hz |
| ♯5 | Chromatic | A | 440.000 Hz |
| 6 | Submediant | Bb | 466.164 Hz |
| 7 | Leading Tone | C | 261.626 Hz |
Interval Pattern
| Step | Interval | Semitones | From Note | To Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | Db | Eb |
| 2 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | Eb | F |
| 3 | Half Step (H) | 1 | F | Gb |
| 4 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | Gb | Ab |
| 5 | Half Step (H) | 1 | Ab | A |
| 6 | Half Step (H) | 1 | A | Bb |
| 7 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | Bb | C |
| 8 | Half Step (H) | 1 | C | Db |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Db | Db | major |
| 2 | Eb | Eb diminished | diminished |
| 3 | F | F (complex) | other |
| 4 | Gb | Gb diminished | diminished |
| 5 | Ab | Ab (complex) | other |
| ♯5 | A | A diminished | diminished |
| 6 | Bb | Bb minor | minor |
| 7 | C | C diminished | diminished |
Key Signature
5 ♭ — The Db key signature uses Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb.
Db Bebop Major Scale in Practice
The Db Bebop Major Scale uses the key signature of 5 flats (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. On guitar, Db positions offer comfortable transposing instrument keys for this scale.
The bebop major scale adds a chromatic passing tone (♯5) between the 5th and 6th degrees of the major scale. This creates an 8-note scale that aligns chord tones on strong beats.
Tuning Frequencies Across Temperaments
Frequencies shown at A=440 Hz. View full temperament data for any note.
| Note | Equal Temp. | Pythagorean | Just Intonation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Db | 277.183 Hz | 278.437 Hz | 279.067 Hz |
| Eb | 311.127 Hz | 309.026 Hz | 313.951 Hz |
| F | 349.228 Hz | 347.654 Hz | 348.834 Hz |
| Gb | 369.994 Hz | 371.251 Hz | 367.911 Hz |
| Ab | 415.305 Hz | 417.657 Hz | 418.601 Hz |
| A | 440.000 Hz | 440.000 Hz | 436.043 Hz |
| Bb | 466.164 Hz | 463.538 Hz | 470.926 Hz |
| C | 261.626 Hz | 260.740 Hz | 261.626 Hz |
Related Scales
Transposing Instruments: Db Bebop Major Scale
Db is a natural key for B♭ instruments (trumpet, clarinet, tenor sax), which sound a major second lower than written. B♭ instruments reading in C produce Db concert pitch. E♭ instruments (alto sax, baritone sax) reading in Db sound a major sixth lower.