Introduction

Db Harmonic Major Scale on piano — Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bbb, C, Db — The Db Harmonic Major Scale shown on a piano keyboard: Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bbb, C, Db.

The D♭ Harmonic Major scale contains seven notes: D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭♭, and C. It follows the whole-step / half-step pattern W-W-H-W-H-A2-H.

D♭ Harmonic Major Scale Notes

Degree	Name	Note	Interval
1	Tonic	D♭	P1
2	Supertonic	E♭	M2
3	Mediant	F	M3
4	Subdominant	G♭	P4
5	Dominant	A♭	P5
6	Submediant	B♭♭	m6
7	Leading Tone	C	M7
8	Octave	D♭	—

Key Signature

The notes of the D♭ Harmonic Major Scale come from Db Major, so it carries that key signature: 5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭).

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭

Written as accidentals

B♭♭

Order of flats

Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Parallel and Relative Keys

Every harmonic major scale has two close cousins. The parallel key shares the same root note but flips the mode (major ↔ minor). The relative key shares the exact same notes and key signature, but starts on a different tonic — three semitones down. Both relationships matter for songwriting: borrowing chords from the parallel key adds emotional color, and pivoting to the relative key is a smooth way to change the mood of a section without changing keys on paper.

Parallel key: Db Minor Scale — same root note (Db), opposite mode. The third, sixth, and seventh degrees shift by a half-step. See also the Db Minor Chord.

Relative key: Bb Minor Scale — same key signature, different tonic. Db Harmonic Major and Bb Minor use the same seven notes; the difference is which note feels like “home.” See also the Bb Minor Chord.

Diatonic Chords in the D♭ Harmonic Major Scale

These are the triads built on each degree of the D♭ Harmonic Major Scale:

I — D♭ Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	D♭ Major	Major
2	ii°	E♭ Diminished	Diminished
3	iii	F Minor	Minor
4	iv	G♭ Minor	Minor
5	V	A♭ Major	Major
6	VI+	B♭♭ Augmented	Augmented
7	vii°	C Diminished	Diminished

D♭ Harmonic Major Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the notes of the D♭ Harmonic Major Scale on piano?

The D♭ Harmonic Major Scale uses the notes D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭♭ – C – D♭. Play them in order from the root up to the octave, hands separately first, then together.

What notes are in the Db Harmonic Major Scale?

The Db Harmonic Major Scale contains seven notes: Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bbb – C. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.

How many sharps or flats does Db Harmonic Major have?

The Db Harmonic Major Scale doesn't correspond to a single major or minor key, so it has no standard key signature. Its notes are written with accidentals as needed: D♭, E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭♭.

What is the relative minor of Db Harmonic Major?

The relative minor of Db Harmonic Major is Bb Minor. Both scales share the same key signature and the same seven notes — the difference is which note feels like "home." That's why a song in C major and a song in A minor look identical on the staff but feel completely different.

What is the parallel minor of Db Harmonic Major?

The parallel minor of Db Harmonic Major is Db Minor. "Parallel" means same root, opposite mode — the third, sixth, and seventh are all a half-step lower in the minor version. Modal interchange (borrowing chords from the parallel key) is one of the most useful tricks in pop and jazz writing.

What does the Db Harmonic Major Scale sound like?

The Db Harmonic Major Scale has a distinctive sound shaped by its specific interval pattern. Listen to the audio playback above to hear the character on every note.

Explore More

Harmonic Major Scale in Other Keys

C C#D D#Eb E F F#Gb G G#Ab A A#Bb B Cb

Browse all Harmonic Major Scales →All Db Scales →Learn about major scales →

Related Lessons

Keep going with the Harmonic Major scale — these pages cover the underlying theory, the connected reference material, and the practice tools that work with this scale.

Theory

Reference

References & Further Reading

How this scale page is sourced & verified

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this page are drawn from the established body of Western music theory and verified against the conventions below — the same fundamentals taught in conservatories and music programs. We list categories of source material rather than individual titles, and reference the standards themselves rather than any single edition.

Standard music theory texts — Widely taught fundamentals of pitch, rhythm, and notation.
Western tonal harmony conventions — Established rules for chord construction, voice leading, and key relationships.
Interval and chord construction standards — The conventional spelling of intervals, triads, sevenths, and extensions.
Scale and mode theory — The common derivation of major, minor, pentatonic, blues, and modal scales.
Piano pedagogy and technique references — Long-standing practices for fingering, hand position, and practice.

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D♭ Harmonic Major Scale

Practice D♭ Harmonic Major Scale