Db major chords, relative minor and Camelot code (3B)
D♭ major has 5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭). Its chords are D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭, A♭, B♭m and C°. The relative minor is B♭ minor and the Camelot code is 3B, so it mixes cleanly with 2B, 4B and 3A.
Notes in the D♭ major scale
D♭ major has 5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭). It sounds identical to C♯ major, which is the same set of pitches spelled differently; D♭ major is the usual spelling.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D♭ | E♭ | F | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C |
Chords in D♭ major
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get the seven chords that belong to the key:
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | D♭ | D♭ · F · A♭ |
| ii | E♭m | E♭ · G♭ · B♭ |
| iii | Fm | F · A♭ · C |
| IV | G♭ | G♭ · B♭ · D♭ |
| V | A♭ | A♭ · C · E♭ |
| vi | B♭m | B♭ · D♭ · F |
| vii° | C° | C · E♭ · G♭ |
Common progressions in D♭ major
- D♭ – A♭ – B♭m – G♭ (I–V–vi–IV): the most used pop progression of the last forty years.
- D♭ – B♭m – G♭ – A♭ (I–vi–IV–V): the 1950s doo-wop turnaround.
- E♭m – A♭ – D♭ (ii–V–I): the jazz cadence.
- B♭m – G♭ – D♭ – A♭ (vi–IV–I–V): the same four chords as I–V–vi–IV, started on the minor chord for a darker feel.
Keys that mix with D♭ major
D♭ major is 3B on the Camelot wheel. For a clean blend, go to a key next to it:
| Camelot | Key | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| 2B | F♯ major | One step round the wheel: shares six of its seven notes |
| 4B | A♭ major | One step the other way: also shares six of seven notes |
| 3A | B♭ minor | The relative minor: exactly the same notes |
How the wheel works is in the Camelot wheel explained, and how to use it in a set is in harmonic mixing for DJs.
Relative and parallel keys
The relative minor, B♭ minor, uses exactly the same notes with a different home chord. The parallel minor, C♯ minor, keeps D♭ as home but changes three notes. More on the difference in relative major and minor keys.
Questions people ask
What chords are in D♭ major?
D♭ (I), E♭m (ii), Fm (iii), G♭ (IV), A♭ (V), B♭m (vi) and C° (vii°).
What is the relative minor of D♭ major?
B♭ minor. It uses the same 7 notes, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, but centres on B♭ instead of D♭.
What is the Camelot code for D♭ major?
3B. In Open Key notation it is 8d.
What keys mix well with D♭ major?
F♯ major (2B), A♭ major (4B) and B♭ minor (3A). They sit next to 3B on the Camelot wheel.
How many sharps or flats does D♭ major have?
5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭).