D-flat minor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
D♭ minor

Relative key	F♭ major
Parallel key	D♭ major
Notes in this scale
D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B, C♭, D♭

D-flat minor is a theoretical key based on the musical note D♭. Its key signature has seven flats and one double flat.

Because it has so many flats, D♭ minor is usually written as its enharmonic equivalent of C♯ minor. For example, Mahler's thematic motif "der kleine Appell" ("call to order") from his Fourth and Fifth Symphonies is written in D♭ minor in Symphony No.4, but in his Symphony No. 5 it is in C♯ minor. In the Adagio of his Symphony No. 9 a solo bassoon theme appears first in D♭ minor, but comes back two more times notated in C♯ minor. The Adagio of Bruckner's Symphony No. 8, also has phrases that are tonally in D♭ minor but written as C♯ minor.

Scales and keys

Diatonic Scales and Keys
	Flats Sharps Major minor Major minor 0 C, a 1 F d G e 2 B♭ g D b 3 E♭ c A f♯ 4 A♭ f E c♯ 5 D♭ b♭ B g♯ 6 G♭ e♭ F♯ d♯ 7 C♭ a♭ C♯ a♯ 8 F♭ d♭ G♯ e♯
The table shows the number of sharps or flats in each scale. Minor scales are written in lower case.