| Relative key | F-flat major (theoretical) →enharmonic:E major |
|---|---|
| Parallel key | D-flat major |
| Dominant key | A-flat minor |
| Subdominant | G-flat minor (theoretical) →enharmonic:F-sharp minor |
| Enharmonic | C-sharp minor |
| Component pitches | |
D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B , C♭ | |
D-flat minor is atheoretical key based onD♭, consisting of the pitches D♭,E♭,F♭,G♭,A♭,B, andC♭. Itskey signature has eightflats, requiring onedouble flat and six single flats. Itsrelative major isF-flat major, which is usually replaced byE major. Itsparallel major isD-flat major. Its directenharmonic equivalent,C-sharp minor, is normally used.
The D-flatnatural minor scale is:
Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. The D-flatharmonic minor andmelodic minor scales are:
D-flat minor is usually notated as the enharmonic key ofC-sharp minor, as in the second and third measures ofAmy Beach'sCanticle of the Sun.[1] However, unusually, two ofVerdi's most well-known operas,La traviata andRigoletto, both end in D-flat minor (although written with the five-flat key signature of the parallel major).Mahler's thematic motif "der kleine Appell" ("call to order") from hisFourth andFifth Symphonies uses both notations: in his Symphony No. 4 (first movement) it is in D-flat minor, but in his Symphony No. 5 it is in C-sharp minor. In the Adagio of hisSymphony No. 9, a solo bassoon interpolation following the main theme appears first in D-flat minor, returning twice more notated in C-sharp minor. Likewise, in the Adagio ofBruckner'sSymphony No. 8, phrases that are tonally in D-flat minor are notated as C-sharp minor.[2][3][4][5]
However, D-flat minor is used onMax Reger'sOn the Theory of Modulation on pp. 42–45, using the key signature.[6]
Thescale-degree chords of D-flat minor are:
