Db Minor Scale — Notes, Chords & Free MIDI
The Db Minor scale is C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B. Free MIDI download, with the chord built on every degree of the key — no sign-up.
The natural minor, or Aeolian: a flattened third, sixth and seventh. No leading tone, so it settles rather than resolving — the plainest way to sound sad. In Db Minor the notes are C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, written with 4 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#). Db and C# are the same pitch, and the notes are written from C# here because spelling them from Db would need double flats. Its relative major is E Major. The interval that gives it its sound is the b3, b6 and b7. This page presets the scale tool to Db Minor (also called the natural minor or Aeolian mode) — play it, or download it as MIDI with or without the chords.
The notes of the Db Minor scale
Db and C# are two names for the same pitch. The notes below are written from C#, because spelling this scale from Db would need double flats — the same reason sheet music writes it that way.
| Degree | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | b7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | C# | D# | E | F# | G# | A | B |
Key signature: 4 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#).
Step pattern
- W
- H
- W
- W
- H
- W
- W
W is a whole step (two semitones), H a half step (one), W+H a three-semitone jump. The pattern adds up to the octave.
Db Minor on the keyboard
The tonic is the darkest key; every other highlighted key belongs to the scale.
Chords in the key of Db Minor
Stack a third and a fifth from the scale on every degree and you get the chords that belong to this key. Tick diatonic chords before downloading to put all 7 of them in the MIDI file after the scale itself.
| Numeral | Chord | Notes | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | C#m | C# – E – G# | minor |
| ii° | D#° | D# – F# – A | diminished |
| bIII | E | E – G# – B | major |
| iv | F#m | F# – A – C# | minor |
| v | G#m | G# – B – D# | minor |
| bVI | A | A – C# – E | major |
| bVII | B | B – D# – F# | major |
Related keys
- E Major — relative major — the same seven notes, resolving to a different home
- C# Major — parallel major — the same tonic, a different third
The other modes of these notes
Start the same seven notes on a different degree and you get a different mode. These six share every note with Db Minor and differ only in which one is home.
Where the Minor scale is used
pop ballads, rock, techno, drum and bass, trap, and most electronic music written in a minor key.
How it works
Choose a root note and a scale, and this tool builds a MIDI file containing the scale played ascending and descending in quarter notes. Enable diatonic chords to also include the triad built on every degree of the scale — a quick way to hear which chords belong to a key. Press play preview to hear the exact notes before downloading. This page arrives preset to Db Minor, so the preview and the download both start on C#4 and climb through the scale from there.
What can you do with a scale MIDI file?
- Drag it into your DAW as a reference lane while writing melodies.
- Learn unfamiliar scales — modes, pentatonics, harmonic minor — by seeing them on a piano roll.
- Feed it to arpeggiators or samplers that expect incoming MIDI.
A Db Minor reference lane earns its keep fast: with C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B laid out on the piano roll, one glance tells you whether a note in your melody belongs to the scale or is a deliberate colour tone.
Want full generated tracks instead of raw scales? Open the MIDI Maker studio and let the generator write melodies in Db Minor for you.
The minor scale in every key
More scales starting on Db
- Db Major
- Db Dorian
- Db Phrygian
- Db Lydian
- Db Mixolydian
- Db Locrian
- Db Major Pentatonic
- Db Minor Pentatonic
- Db Blues
- Db Harmonic Minor
- Db Melodic Minor
Or head back to the scale to MIDI tool to build any combination yourself.
Keep building: chords, drums and more
- I–V–vi–IV in Db Major
- vi–IV–I–V in Db Major
- I–IV–V–IV in Db Major
- I–vi–IV–V in Db Major
- ii–V–I in Db Major
- I–vi–ii–V in Db Major
- Drum MIDI generator
- Audio to MIDI converter
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Db Minor scale?
The Db Minor scale contains 7 notes: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B. Measured against the major scale that is 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7, and the step pattern is W H W W H W W. The MIDI file plays them ascending and descending in quarter notes starting from C#4.
What chords are in the key of Db Minor?
Stacking thirds on each degree gives i C#m, ii° D#°, bIII E, iv F#m, v G#m, bVI A, bVII B. Tick "diatonic chords" before downloading and the MIDI file includes all 7 of them after the scale.
Is this Db Minor MIDI file free to use?
Yes — the download is free, requires no sign-up, and the generated MIDI is royalty-free for personal and commercial projects. A scale is not copyrightable in any case.
How do I use the scale MIDI in my DAW?
Drag the downloaded .mid file onto an instrument track in any DAW (Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase, Reaper, Bitwig, Studio One). It appears on the piano roll as regular notes you can edit, transpose, or feed into an arpeggiator.
Want full tracks, not just scales?
The MIDI Maker studio rolls complete, editable arrangements — melody, chords, bass and drums — you can export to any DAW. Free, in your browser.
Open the Studio — Free