Db Persian Scale
Notes in the Db Persian Scale
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | Db | 277.183 Hz |
| ♭2 | Phrygian 2nd | D | 293.665 Hz |
| 3 | Major Mediant | F | 349.228 Hz |
| 4 | Subdominant | Gb | 369.994 Hz |
| ♭5 | Tritone | G | 391.995 Hz |
| ♭6 | Minor Submediant | A | 440.000 Hz |
| 7 | Leading Tone | C | 261.626 Hz |
Interval Pattern
| Step | Interval | Semitones | From Note | To Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Half Step (H) | 1 | Db | D |
| 2 | Aug 2nd (WH) | 3 | D | F |
| 3 | Half Step (H) | 1 | F | Gb |
| 4 | Half Step (H) | 1 | Gb | G |
| 5 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | G | A |
| 6 | Aug 2nd (WH) | 3 | A | C |
| 7 | Half Step (H) | 1 | C | Db |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Db | Db (complex) | other |
| ♭2 | D | D | major |
| 3 | F | F (complex) | other |
| 4 | Gb | Gb minor | minor |
| ♭5 | G | G (complex) | other |
| ♭6 | A | A augmented | augmented |
| 7 | C | C (complex) | other |
Key Signature
5 ♭ — The Db key signature uses Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb.
Db Persian Scale in Practice
The Db Persian 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 Persian scale has a distinct Middle Eastern character with its flat 2nd and 5th degrees combined with a natural major 3rd and leading tone. It evokes the musical traditions of ancient Persian culture.
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 |
| D | 293.665 Hz | 293.332 Hz | 294.329 Hz |
| F | 349.228 Hz | 347.654 Hz | 348.834 Hz |
| Gb | 369.994 Hz | 371.251 Hz | 367.911 Hz |
| G | 391.995 Hz | 391.111 Hz | 392.438 Hz |
| A | 440.000 Hz | 440.000 Hz | 436.043 Hz |
| C | 261.626 Hz | 260.740 Hz | 261.626 Hz |
Related Scales
Transposing Instruments: Db Persian 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.