D♯m6: D♯/E♭ Minor 6th Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	D♯, F♯, A♯, B♯	2-3-4-5
Left	D♯, F♯, A♯, B♯	5-4-3-2

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	D♯	Perfect unison	0
♭3	F♯	Minor third	3
5	A♯	Perfect fifth	7
6	B♯	Major sixth	9

Construction

D♯ Minor 6th = Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th + Major 6th = D♯, F♯, A♯, B♯

Note	Interval	Degree
D♯	Root	1
F♯	Minor 3rd	♭3
A♯	Perfect 5th	5
B♯	Major 6th	6

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
D♯	black	index finger (2)	little finger (5)
F♯	black	middle finger (3)	ring finger (4)
A♯	black	ring finger (4)	middle finger (3)
B♯	white	little finger (5)	index finger (2)

Right hand: index finger (2) on D♯, middle finger (3) on F♯, ring finger (4) on A♯, little finger (5) on B♯.

Left hand: little finger (5) on D♯, ring finger (4) on F♯, middle finger (3) on A♯, index finger (2) on B♯.

D♯ Minor 6th Inversions

Root position
D♯ – F♯ – A♯ – B♯
1st inversion (D♯m6/F♯)
F♯ – A♯ – B♯ – D♯
2nd inversion (D♯m6/A♯)
A♯ – B♯ – D♯ – F♯
3rd inversion (D♯m6/B♯)
B♯ – D♯ – F♯ – A♯

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the D♯ Minor 6th is the tonic (i) chord of D♯ Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, F♯ Major: 6 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯).

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of D♯ Minor

These are the triads built on each degree of D♯ Minor:

i — D♯ Minor (minor)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	i	D♯ Minor	Minor
2	ii°	E♯ Diminished	Diminished
3	III	F♯ Major	Major
4	iv	G♯ Minor	Minor
5	v	A♯ Minor	Minor
6	VI	B Major	Major
7	VII	C♯ Major	Major

Scales That Include the D♯ Minor 6th

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes D♯ – F♯ – A♯ – B♯ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

C Half Diminished→

D♯ Minor 6th : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the D♯ Minor 6th chord on piano?

The D♯ Minor 6th chord contains the notes D♯ – F♯ – A♯ – B♯. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

What is the D# piano chord?

The D# piano chord (written D♯ Minor 6th) uses the same keys: D♯ – F♯ – A♯ – B♯. The # and ♯ symbols name the same black key.

What notes are in the D# Minor 6th chord?

D# Minor 6th is built from the D# root. Check the interactive keyboard above for exact notes and fingering.

How is the D# Minor 6th chord used in music?

D# Minor 6th appears in jazz, pop, and classical contexts. Its sound depends on the chord quality (Minor 6th).

What is the fingering for D# Minor 6th?

See the fingering chart above. Right hand typically uses thumb on root. Left hand uses pinky on root.

What are the inversions of D# Minor 6th?

Use the inversion buttons above to see each inversion with notes, fingering, and staff notation.

What is the descending chromatic line?

The classic line: m → mMaj7 → m7 → m6, only the top note moves chromatically.

D♯ Minor 6th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	D♯3 F♯3 A♯3 B♯4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	F♯3 A♯3 B♯4 D♯4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	A♯3 B♯4 D♯4 F♯4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, third inversion	B♯4 D♯4 F♯4 A♯4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Drop 2	A♯2 D♯3 F♯3 B♯4	14	193 mm	none	identical
Drop 3	F♯2 D♯3 A♯3 B♯4	18	248 mm	none	identical
Drop 2 and 4	D♯2 A♯2 F♯3 B♯4	21	289 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Shell, root 6 ♭3	D♯2 B♯3 F♯3	15	206 mm	omits A♯	subset
Guide tones, ♭3 and 6	F♯3 B♯4	6	83 mm	omits D♯ and A♯	subset
Rootless close	F♯3 A♯3 B♯4	6	83 mm	omits D♯	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	D♯	D♯3, F♯3, A♯3, B♯4	7	9	124 mm
First inversion: D♯m6/F♯	F♯	F♯3, A♯3, B♯4, D♯4	6/5	9	124 mm
Second inversion: D♯m6/A♯	A♯	A♯3, B♯4, D♯4, F♯4	4/3	8	110 mm
Third inversion: D♯m6/B♯	B♯	B♯4, D♯4, F♯4, A♯4	4/2	10	138 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
D♯m	drops B♯	1 ♭3 5	3
D♯m7	B♯ becomes C♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	3
D♯mMaj7	B♯ becomes C×	1 ♭3 5 7	3
D♯dim7	A♯ becomes A	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7	3
D♯6	F♯ becomes F×	1 3 5 6	3
D♯m9	B♯ becomes C♯, E♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9	3
D♯	F♯, B♯ becomes F×	1 3 5	2
D♯dim	A♯, B♯ becomes A	1 ♭3 ♭5	2
D♯sus2	F♯, B♯ becomes E♯	1 2 5	2
D♯sus4	F♯, B♯ becomes G♯	1 4 5	2
D♯maj7	F♯, B♯ becomes F×, C×	1 3 5 7	2
D♯7	F♯, B♯ becomes F×, C♯	1 3 5 ♭7	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
D♯3	51	155.56 Hz
F♯3	54	185.00 Hz
A♯3	58	233.08 Hz
B♯4	60	261.63 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {3, 6, 10, 0}
Normal order: [10, 0, 3, 6]
Prime form: (0258)
Forte number: 4-27
Interval vector: <012111>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
D♯ to F♯	Minor third	3	3
D♯ to A♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
D♯ to B♯	Major sixth	9	3
F♯ to A♯	Major third	4	4
F♯ to B♯	Tritone	6	6
A♯ to B♯	Major second	2	2

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor 6th applied to the root D♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

D♯ Minor 6th

Fingerings

D♯ Minor 6th: notes and degrees