D♭ Blues Scale
Notes in the D♭ Blues Scale
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | D♭ | 277.183 Hz |
| ♭3 | Minor Mediant | E | 329.628 Hz |
| 4 | Subdominant | G♭ | 369.994 Hz |
| ♯4 | Blue Note | G | 391.995 Hz |
| 5 | Dominant | A♭ | 415.305 Hz |
| ♭7 | Subtonic | B | 493.883 Hz |
Interval Pattern
| Step | Interval | Semitones | From Note | To Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 2nd (WH) | 3 | D♭ | E |
| 2 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | E | G♭ |
| 3 | Half Step (H) | 1 | G♭ | G |
| 4 | Half Step (H) | 1 | G | A♭ |
| 5 | Aug 2nd (WH) | 3 | A♭ | B |
| 6 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | B | D♭ |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D♭ | D♭ (complex) | other |
| ♭3 | E | E minor | minor |
| 4 | G♭ | G♭ (complex) | other |
| ♯4 | G | G (complex) | other |
| 5 | A♭ | A♭ (complex) | other |
| ♭7 | B | B (complex) | other |
Key Signature
5 ♭ — The D♭ key signature uses B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭.
D♭ Blues Scale in Practice
The D♭ Blues Scale uses the key signature of 5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭). 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, D♭ positions offer comfortable transposing instrument keys for this scale.
The blues scale adds the flat 5th (blue note) to the minor pentatonic scale, creating the characteristic dissonant tension central to blues, jazz, and rock music. When played starting on D♭, the 6 notes are D♭, E, G♭, G, A♭, B. In this key the signature has 5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭). Db major uses all five black keys of the piano, placing the hand naturally on the raised keys and creating a legato, connected feel. Modern R&B and neo-soul producers often write in Db because keyboard players find the five-flat hand position physically comfortable for extended improvisations.
Tuning Frequencies Across Temperaments
Frequencies shown at A=440 Hz. View full temperament data for any note.
| Note | Equal Temp. | Pythagorean | Just Intonation |
|---|---|---|---|
| D♭ | 277.183 Hz | 278.437 Hz | 279.067 Hz |
| E | 329.628 Hz | 330.001 Hz | 327.032 Hz |
| G♭ | 369.994 Hz | 371.251 Hz | 367.911 Hz |
| G | 391.995 Hz | 391.111 Hz | 392.438 Hz |
| A♭ | 415.305 Hz | 417.657 Hz | 418.601 Hz |
| B | 493.883 Hz | 495.000 Hz | 490.548 Hz |
Related Scales
Transposing Instruments: D♭ Blues Scale
D♭ 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 D♭ concert pitch. E♭ instruments (alto sax, baritone sax) reading in D♭ sound a major sixth lower.