Key guide
D♯ minor: scale, key signature and chords
D♯ minor has six sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯). Its scale is D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯ — play the scale and every chord below.
- Key signature
- F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ — six sharps
- Scale notes
- D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯
- Relative major
- F♯ major
- Parallel major
- E♭ major (enharmonic spelling of D♯ major)
- Dominant key
- B♭ minor (spelled A♯ minor from here; covered as B♭ minor)
- Subdominant key
- G♯ minor
- On the piano
- 5 black keys and 2 white in the scale
The D♯ minor scale
The D♯ minor scale uses the notes D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, the natural minor pattern of whole and half steps (W–H–W–W–H–W–W) starting on D♯. Each letter name appears once, which is why the accidentals are written as F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯ rather than as their enharmonic equivalents.
| Degree | Note | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D♯ | tonic |
| 2 | E♯ | supertonic |
| 3 | F♯ | mediant |
| 4 | G♯ | subdominant |
| 5 | A♯ | dominant |
| 6 | B | submediant |
| 7 | C♯ | subtonic |
E♭ minor (six flats) is its enharmonic twin, and is the more common spelling in piano music.
Harmonic and melodic minor in D♯ minor
The natural minor scale above is the form the key signature gives you. Composers alter it to get a stronger pull to the tonic: the harmonic minor raises the seventh degree (D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C×), and the melodic minor raises the sixth and seventh going up (D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B♯, C×). A × means a double sharp.
Chords in D♯ minor
Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives seven diatonic triads and seven seventh chords. The Roman numeral gives each chord’s position; the role column says what it usually does in a phrase.
| Chord | Triad | Seventh | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | D♯ F♯ A♯ | D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯ | tonic |
| ii° | E♯ G♯ B | E♯ G♯ B D♯ | predominant |
| III | F♯ A♯ C♯ | F♯ A♯ C♯ E♯ | tonic substitute |
| iv | G♯ B D♯ | G♯ B D♯ F♯ | predominant |
| v | A♯ C♯ E♯ | A♯ C♯ E♯ G♯ | dominant |
| VI | B D♯ F♯ | B D♯ F♯ A♯ | tonic substitute |
| VII | C♯ E♯ G♯ | C♯ E♯ G♯ B | dominant |
In a minor key the v chord from the natural scale is usually replaced in cadences by a major V built with the raised seventh: A♯ C× E♯.
Chord progressions in D♯ minor
Four progressions worked out in D♯ minor, each one playable:
- i – VI – III – VII D♯m – B – F♯ – C♯A rising-and-falling minor loop that stays inside the natural minor scale.
- i – iv – V – i D♯m – G♯m – A♯ – D♯mThe minor cadence: the V is major, borrowing the raised seventh from the harmonic minor scale.
- ii° – V – i E♯° – A♯ – D♯mThe minor ii–V–i: a diminished predominant resolving to the tonic.
- i – VII – VI – V D♯m – C♯ – B – A♯The descending “Andalusian” line, ending on the major dominant.
Keys related to D♯ minor
- Relative major: F♯ major — same key signature, different home note.
- Dominant: B♭ minor — one step clockwise on the circle of fifths; the key most pieces in D♯ minor modulate to.
- Subdominant: G♯ minor — one step counter-clockwise, adding one flat (or removing one sharp).
- Parallel major: E♭ major (the enharmonic spelling of D♯ major) — same tonic, opposite mode.
Questions
What are the notes in D♯ minor?
The D♯ minor scale is D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯. That is the natural minor form; the harmonic minor raises the seventh degree, and the melodic minor raises the sixth and seventh going up.
How many sharps or flats are in D♯ minor?
D♯ minor has six sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯.
What is the relative major of D♯ minor?
The relative major of D♯ minor is F♯ major. The two keys share a key signature and the same seven notes, but D♯ is the home note of the minor key.
What chords are in D♯ minor?
The seven diatonic triads in D♯ minor are D♯m, E♯°, F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B, C♯. In practice the V chord is usually played as A♯, using the raised seventh from the harmonic minor scale.