D♭ Aeolian at a glance
Aeolian is just natural minor under a different name. It dominates pop, rock and folk in minor keys. Reach for it any time you want a warm, melancholic mood. Built on the root D♭, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where D♭ is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B𝄫 C♭ |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2M · 3m · 4P · 5P · 6m · 7m |
| Step pattern | W H W W H W W |
| Chords in the key | D♭mE♭°F♭G♭mA♭mB𝄫C♭ |
Chords in the D♭ Aeolian scale
These are the chords that naturally form on each degree of the scale. Click a chord to open its dedicated page.
D♭ Aeolian on the piano
Improvisation drone · D♭
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano D♭ Aeolian uses four black keys (D♭, E♭, G♭ and A♭) and three white. F♭, B𝄫 and C♭ are the white keys you'd normally call E, A and B.
D♭ · E♭ · F♭ · G♭ · A♭ · B𝄫 · C♭
Play D♭ Aeolian on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
D♭ Aeolian on the guitar
D♭ Aeolian - fr 0–12
D♭ Aeolian on the staff
Notes of the D♭ Aeolian scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D♭ | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | E♭ | major 2nd2M | 2 | |
| 3 | F♭ | minor 3rd3m | 3 | |
| 4 | G♭ | perfect 4th4P | 5 | |
| 5 | A♭ | perfect 5th5P | 7 | |
| 6 | B𝄫 | minor 6th6m | 8 | |
| 7 | C♭ | minor 7th7m | 10 |
What makes D♭ Aeolian different
Aeolian is the modal name for natural minor: same notes, same intervals. It's the sixth mode of the major scale, so it shares its notes with the major scale a minor third above its root. Two notes place it among its neighbours: the minor sixth separates it from Dorian, and the major second separates it from Phrygian. Its i, iv and v chords are all minor, with major chords on ♭III, ♭VI and ♭VII, the set behind the ♭VI, ♭VII, i cadence of rock and film music. On D♭, D♭ Aeolian has B𝄫 where D♭ Dorian has B♭; every other note is shared with D♭ Dorian (D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭).
Modes from D♭ Aeolian
Each note of this scale produces a different mode with its own character.
How to use the D♭ Aeolian scale
The diatonic chords of D♭ Aeolian are: i = D♭m, ii° = E♭°, III = F♭, iv = G♭m, v = A♭m, VI = B𝄫, VII = C♭. These seven chords belong naturally to the key and are the safest harmonic vocabulary when writing songs in D♭ Aeolian. Each one in the chord table on this page opens its own diagram and progressions.
Aeolian is just natural minor under a different name. It dominates pop, rock and folk in minor keys. Reach for it any time you want a warm, melancholic mood.
Practice tips
Treat aeolian as natural minor for practice purposes. Compare it to its relative major to lock in the position relationships.
Formula & step pattern
The D♭ Aeolian scale follows the natural minor pattern (W-H-W-W-H-W-W), identical to the natural minor scale. Step pattern: W - H - W - W - H - W - W. Intervals from the root: 1P · 2M · 3m · 4P · 5P · 6m · 7m. Memorising the formula lets you transpose the scale to any other root note quickly.
Where you will hear D♭ Aeolian
Start with the music described above: listen for D♭ Aeolian in it and transcribe a few short phrases by ear. It's the quickest way to learn how the scale sounds.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the D♭ Aeolian scale?
The D♭ Aeolian scale contains D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B𝄫 and C♭.
What is the formula for the D♭ Aeolian scale?
D♭ Aeolian follows the natural minor pattern (W-H-W-W-H-W-W), identical to the natural minor scale.
Is D♭ Aeolian a major or minor scale?
D♭ Aeolian is a aeolian scale. Identical to natural minor - the classic minor mode of the Western system.
What chords belong to the D♭ Aeolian scale?
The diatonic chords of D♭ Aeolian are D♭m, E♭°, F♭, G♭m, A♭m, B𝄫, C♭.
Which genres use D♭ Aeolian?
Aeolian is just natural minor under a different name. It dominates pop, rock and folk in minor keys. Reach for it any time you want a warm, melancholic mood.
How do you play the D♭ Aeolian scale on the piano?
On the piano D♭ Aeolian uses four black keys (D♭, E♭, G♭ and A♭) and three white. F♭, B𝄫 and C♭ are the white keys you'd normally call E, A and B.
What is the difference between D♭ Aeolian and D♭ Dorian?
On D♭, D♭ Aeolian has B𝄫 where D♭ Dorian has B♭; every other note is shared with D♭ Dorian (D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭).
What is the relative key of D♭ Aeolian?
The relative key of D♭ Aeolian is F♭ Major. It uses the same notes (F♭ G♭ A♭ B𝄫 C♭ D♭ E♭) starting from F♭, so the two share a key signature.
How do I practise the D♭ Aeolian scale?
Treat aeolian as natural minor for practice purposes. Compare it to its relative major to lock in the position relationships.