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D♭ Whole Tone Scale

Listen plays the scale. Play Along lights up each note in order so you can follow.

D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A – C♭ – D♭
Formula:W-W-W-W-W-W
Intervals:P1-M2-M3-A4-A5-m7

Introduction

The D♭ Whole Tone scale contains six notes: D♭, E♭, F, G, A, and C♭. It follows the whole-step / half-step pattern W-W-W-W-W-W.

D♭ Whole Tone Scale Notes

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1TonicD♭P1
2SupertonicE♭M2
3MediantFM3
4SubdominantGA4
5DominantAA5
6SubmediantC♭m7
7Leading ToneD♭

Key Signature

The key of Db Whole Tone has 5 flats.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭

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.

BEADGCF

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of D♭ Whole Tone Scale

These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the D♭ Whole Tone Scale:

C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
ID♭ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1ID♭ MajorMajor
2iiE♭ MinorMinor
3iiiF MinorMinor
4IVG♭ MajorMajor
5VA♭ MajorMajor
6viB♭ MinorMinor
7vii°C DiminishedDiminished

D♭ Whole Tone Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the Db Whole Tone Scale?
The Db Whole Tone Scale contains six notes: Db – Eb – F – G – A – Cb. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does Db Whole Tone have?
The key of Db Whole Tone has 5 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭. Flats are added in a fixed order — B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭ — the reverse of the sharp order.
What does the Db Whole Tone Scale sound like?
The Db Whole Tone Scale has a dreamy, ambiguous quality with no half-steps — used by Debussy and in dream sequences. Listen to the audio playback above to hear the character on every note.

Related Tools

Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.