Db Melodic Minor Scale
Notes in the Db Melodic Minor Scale
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | Db | 277.183 Hz |
| 2 | Supertonic | Eb | 311.127 Hz |
| ♭3 | Minor Mediant | E | 329.628 Hz |
| 4 | Subdominant | Gb | 369.994 Hz |
| 5 | Dominant | Ab | 415.305 Hz |
| 6 | Major 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 | Half Step (H) | 1 | Eb | E |
| 3 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | E | Gb |
| 4 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | Gb | Ab |
| 5 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | Ab | Bb |
| 6 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | Bb | C |
| 7 | Half Step (H) | 1 | C | Db |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Db | Db minor | minor |
| 2 | Eb | Eb minor | minor |
| ♭3 | E | E augmented | augmented |
| 4 | Gb | Gb | major |
| 5 | Ab | Ab | major |
| 6 | Bb | Bb diminished | diminished |
| 7 | C | C diminished | diminished |
Key Signature
5 ♭ — The Db key signature uses Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb.
Db Melodic Minor Scale in Practice
The Db Melodic Minor 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 melodic minor scale raises both the 6th and 7th degrees ascending to smooth out the augmented second of harmonic minor. In jazz it is used in both directions.
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 |
| E | 329.628 Hz | 330.001 Hz | 327.032 Hz |
| Gb | 369.994 Hz | 371.251 Hz | 367.911 Hz |
| Ab | 415.305 Hz | 417.657 Hz | 418.601 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 Melodic Minor 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.