Db Minor Scale for Guitar

The Db minor scale is Db, Eb, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bbb and Cb. That spelling needs a double flat, so nobody reads it in practice: the same pitches are written as C# minor, with four sharps. The fingering is identical, and the root is on the 9th fret of the low E string.

Play the Db minor scale

Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.

Notes of the Db minor scale

NoteDegreeIntervalSemitones from root
Db1Root0
Eb2Major 2nd2
Fbb3Minor 3rd3
Gb4Perfect 4th5
Ab5Perfect 5th7
Bbbb6Minor 6th8
Cbb7Minor 7th10

Structure

Db minor scale notes:

Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bbb Cb

How the minor scale is built:

The minor scale is built from the degrees 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7, which gives the step pattern W-H-W-W-H-W-W (W = whole step, H = half step).

Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.

It is mode 6 of the Major Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.

It is also known as Aeolian and Natural Minor.

Db Minor Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - On one string (B)

On one string (B)

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 1

Box pattern — position 1

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 2

Box pattern — position 2

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 3

Box pattern — position 3

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 4

Box pattern — position 4

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 5

Box pattern — position 5

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 1

3 notes per string — position 1

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 2

3 notes per string — position 2

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 3

3 notes per string — position 3

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 4

3 notes per string — position 4

Db Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 5

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the Db minor scale

Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.

DegreeTriadSeventh chord
1 Dbm Dbm7
2 Ebdim Ebm7(b5)
b3 Fb Fbmaj7
4 Gbm Gbm7
5 Abm Abm7
b6 Bbb Bbbmaj7
b7 Cb Cb7

Related modes

These scales share the same notes as the minor scale, starting from a different degree.

The minor scale in other keys

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

All about the minor scale →