D-flat major
D-flat major is a key of the major family, based on the root D-flat. The key of D flat major is written in musical notation with five ♭ (b, es, as, des, ges). The corresponding scale and the fundamental chord of this key (the tonic of F-fl-flat) are also designated by the term D flat major.
D flat major is often described as warm and mellow, but see the article on key signature.
Many Romantic works are in D flat major.
Key classification
| Keys and their accidentals | |||||||||||||||
| Portent: | 7 ♭ | 6 ♭ | 5 ♭ | 4 ♭ | 3 ♭ | 2 ♭ | 1 ♭ | 0 ♭/♯ | 1 ♯ | 2 ♯ | 3 ♯ | 4 ♯ | 5 ♯ | 6 ♯ | 7 ♯ |
| Major keys: | Ces | Ges | Des | As | It | B | F | C | G | D | A | E | H | F# | C sharp |
| Minor keys: | as | it | b | f | c | g | d | a | e | h | F# | cis | gis | dis | ais |
Questions and Answers
Q: What is D♭ major?
A: D♭ major is a major scale based on the note D♭.
Q: How many flats are in the key signature of D♭ major?
A: The key signature of D♭ major has five flats.
Q: What is the relative minor of D♭ major?
A: The relative minor of D♭ major is B♭ minor.
Q: What is the parallel minor of D♭ major?
A: The parallel minor of D♭ major is D♭ minor, but it is usually replaced by C♯ minor because D♭ minor has eight flats, which makes it impractical to use.
Q: In Chopin's Prelude No. 15 in D-flat major, what key does he modulate to for the middle section?
A: Chopin modulates to C-sharp minor for the middle section of his Prelude No. 15 in D-flat major.
Q: Why does Chopin switch to D-flat major in the middle section of his Fantaisie-Impromptu?
A: Chopin switches to D-flat major in the middle section of his Fantaisie-Impromptu because C-sharp minor has too many sharps, making it impractical to use.
Q: In Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony, what key does he switch to for the significant section in the slow movement?
A: Antonín Dvořák switches to C-sharp minor for the significant section in the slow movement of his New World Symphony.
