Db Minor Pentatonic Scale
Notes in the Db Minor Pentatonic Scale
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | Db | 277.183 Hz |
| ♭3 | Minor Mediant | E | 329.628 Hz |
| 4 | Subdominant | Gb | 369.994 Hz |
| 5 | Dominant | Ab | 415.305 Hz |
| ♭7 | Subtonic | B | 493.883 Hz |
Interval Pattern
| Step | Interval | Semitones | From Note | To Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 2nd (WH) | 3 | Db | E |
| 2 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | E | Gb |
| 3 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | Gb | Ab |
| 4 | Aug 2nd (WH) | 3 | Ab | B |
| 5 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | B | Db |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Db | Db (complex) | other |
| ♭3 | E | E (complex) | other |
| 4 | Gb | Gb (complex) | other |
| 5 | Ab | Ab (complex) | other |
| ♭7 | B | B (complex) | other |
Key Signature
5 ♭ — The Db key signature uses Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb.
Db Minor Pentatonic Scale in Practice
The Db Minor Pentatonic 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 minor pentatonic scale is the most commonly used scale in blues and rock music. It contains five notes with a raw, expressive sound ideal for improvisation.
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 |
| 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 |
| B | 493.883 Hz | 495.000 Hz | 490.548 Hz |
Related Scales
Transposing Instruments: Db Minor Pentatonic 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.