D FLAT MAJOR

(Redirected from D-flat major)

: ''Also see: D-flat minor, or D major.''
'D-flat major' is a major scale based on D-flat, consisting of the pitches D-flat, E-flat, F, G-flat, A-flat, B-flat, C, and D-flat. Its key signature has five flats (''see below:'' Scales and keys). [The note 'D-flat' is a half-tone between C and D.]
The flatted pitches correspond to the black keys of the piano. Its relative minor is B-flat minor, and its parallel minor is D-flat minor, usually replaced by C sharp minor, since D-flat minor, which would contain 8 flats, is not used for practical composing and arranging. Thus, in his Prelude No. 15 in D-flat major and his Fantaisie-Impromptu, Frédéric Chopin switches from D-flat major to C sharp minor for the middle section in the parallel minor.

D-flat major is enharmonic to C sharp major. In music for the harp, D-flat major would be preferable, not only for the reason that harp strings are more resonant in the flat position, but also because modulation to the dominant key is easier (by putting the G pedal in the natural position, whereas there is no double-sharp position in which to put the F pedal for G-sharp major).
Hector Berlioz called this key "majestic" in his 1856 ''Grand Traité d'Instrumentation et d'Orchestration modernes'', while having a much different opinion of its enharmonic counterpart. Charles-Marie Widor considered D-flat major to be the best key for flute music.^[1]
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 is written in B flat minor, but the famous opening theme is in D flat major.

Contents

Well-known classical compositions in this key

Well-known contemporary music in this key

References

Scales and keys

External links

Well-known classical compositions in this key

★ ''Consolation No. 3'' - Liszt

★ Waltz in D flat major "Minute Waltz" - Chopin

★ ''Nocturne in D flat major Opus 27 No. 2'' - Chopin

★ ''Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini'', 18th variation - Sergei Rachmaninoff

★ ''Clair de Lune'' - Claude Debussy

Well-known contemporary music in this key

★ ''Baby Girl'' - Sugarland

★ ''Black Balloon'' - Goo Goo Dolls

★ ''Chariots of Fire'' (main theme) - Vangelis

★ ''Colours of the Wind'' -Alan Menken from Disney's Pocahontas

★ ''Defying Gravity'' - Stephen Schwartz (from the musical Wicked)

★ ''Dirty Work'' - Steely Dan

★ ''Don't Cry for Me, Argentina'' - Andrew Lloyd Webber

★ ''Electric Boogie'' - Marcia Griffiths

★ ''Golden Brown'' - The Stranglers

★ ''The Grand Illusion'' - Styx

★ ''Heat of the Moment'' - Asia

★ ''Here Is Gone - Goo Goo Dolls

★ ''I Just Called to Say I Love You'' - Stevie Wonder

★ ''I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'' - U2

★ ''Jesus of Suburbia'' - Green Day (also in the key of A-flat major)

★ ''Light My Fire'' - The Doors

★ ''Love Song'' - Sky

★ ''Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - Smashing Pumpkins

★ ''Memory'' - Andrew Lloyd Webber (partly in this key)

★ ''Mr. Brightside - The Killers (band)

★ ''Move Out'' - Yazoo

★ ''Music of the Night'' - Andrew Lloyd Webber

★ ''Never Gonna Give You Up'' - Rick Astley

★ ''Obviously'' - McFly

★ ''Red, Red Wine'' - UB40

★ ''Sacrifice'' - Elton John

★ ''Shine'' - Collective Soul

★ ''Sweet Child o' Mine'' - Guns N' Roses

★ ''Video Killed the Radio Star'' - The Buggles

★ ''When I'm Sixty-Four'' - The Beatles

★ ''You're A Superstar'' - Love Inc.

★ ''You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling'' - The Righteous Brothers

References

1. Charles-Marie Widor, ''Manual of Practical Instrumentation'' translated by Edward Suddard, Revised Edition. London: Joseph Williams, Ltd. (1946) Reprinted Mineola, New York: Dover (2005): 11. "No key suits it [the flute] better than D♭ [major]." (Text uses flat sign, not lowercase "b")

Scales and keys

External links

★ D Flat Major - Free D-flat major scale music sheet with arpeggios and broken chords for piano with fingering marks.