D-flat major

D♭ major

Relative key	B♭ minor
Parallel key	D♭ minor enharmonic: C♯ major
Component pitches
D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭

Also see: D-flat minor, or D major.

D-flat major is a major scale based on D-flat, consisting of the pitches D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭ and C. Its key signature has five flats (see below: Scales and keys).

The flatted pitches correspond to the black keys of the piano. Its relative minor is B-flat minor, and its parallel minor is D-flat minor, usually replaced by C-sharp minor, since D-flat minor, which would contain a double-flat in the key signature, is rarely used for practical composing and arranging. Thus, in his Prelude No. 15 in D-flat major ("Raindrop"), Frédéric Chopin switches from D-flat major to C-sharp minor for the middle section in the parallel minor, while in his Fantaisie-Impromptu, primarily in C-sharp minor, he switches to D-flat major for the middle section for the same reason.

Ascending and descending D-flat major scale.

D-flat major is enharmonic to C-sharp major. In music for the harp, D-flat major would be preferable, not only for the reason that harp strings are more resonant in the flat position, but also because modulation to the dominant key is easier (by putting the G pedal in the natural position, whereas there is no double-sharp position in which to put the F pedal for G-sharp major).

Hector Berlioz called this key "majestic" in his 1856 Grand Traité d'Instrumentation et d'Orchestration modernes, while having a much different opinion of its enharmonic counterpart. Charles-Marie Widor considered D-flat major to be the best key for flute music.^[1]

With this key being relatively unexplored during the Baroque and Classical periods, Franz Schubert used it quite frequently in his sets of ecossaises, valses and so on, as well as entering it and even flatter keys in his sonatas, impromptus and the like.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 is written in B-flat minor, but the famous opening theme is in D-flat major.

Gustav Mahler concluded his last completed Ninth Symphony with an adagio in D-flat major, rather than the home key of D major of the first movement.

Antonín Dvořák wrote the second movement of his Symphony No. 9 in D-flat major. Every other movement is in E minor.

Sergei Rachmaninoff composed the famous 18th variation of his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in this key.

Claude Debussy also composed the arguably even more famous Clair de lune in this key, with a significant section in C-sharp minor.

Edvard Grieg composed the second movement of his Piano Concerto in D-flat.

Frederic Chopin's Nocturne in D-flat is in this key.

References

Scales and keys

v • d • e 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 indicates the number of sharps or flats in each scale. Minor scales are written in lower case.

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