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D♯ minor

Also written E♭ minor: the same keys on the piano.

D♯ minor has 6 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯). Its scale is D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯, its chords are D♯m, E♯dim, F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B and C♯, and its relative major is F♯ major.

Make a beat in D♯ minorWrite a melody in this key

Opens the free editor with a trap beat on D♯m B F♯ C♯. No account needed to start.

The D♯ minor scale

Whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole: the half steps come between E♯ and F♯, and between A♯ and B.

D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯

E♯BD♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯

On the piano, D♯ minor uses 5 black keys (D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯ and C♯) and 2 white keys (E♯ and B). E♯ is played on the F key.

The notes of D♯ minor by scale degree
DegreeNoteName
1D♯Tonic
2E♯Supertonic
3F♯Mediant
4G♯Subdominant
5A♯Dominant
6BSubmediant
7C♯Subtonic

The raised seventh

Many songs in D♯ minor raise C♯ to C𝄪 (a double sharp, played on the D key). That makes the harmonic minor scale, D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C𝄪, and turns the fifth chord from A♯m into A♯ major, which pulls hard back to D♯m. The editor’s minor progressions play the fifth chord that way.

Chords in D♯ minor

One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. The Roman numeral says which note it starts on: capitals are major, small letters minor.

iD♯m
ii°E♯dim
IIIF♯
ivG♯m
vA♯m
VIB
VIIC♯

Which chords sound happy or sad

Dark

D♯m G♯m A♯m

i, iv, v. The minor chords. D♯m is home, and the key’s sad colour.

Lifting

F♯ B C♯

III, VI, VII. The major chords, which bring light into a minor song.

Tense

E♯dim

ii°. Diminished: tense and unstable, so most minor songs use it only in passing.

A progression in D♯ minor

The epic minor · i–VI–III–VII
D♯m
B
F♯
C♯
Hear it as

More progressions in D♯ minor

Key signature and related keys

Key signature

6 sharps: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ (or 6 flats: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭)

Written at the start of every line of music, so each F, C, G, D, A and E is played sharp. Sharps join in the order F C G D A E B, and flats in the order B E A D G C F.

Relative major

F♯ major

The same seven notes and key signature, starting on F♯.

Parallel major

E♭ major

The same home note (E♭ is D♯ written another way), with 3 flats. Borrowing a chord from it makes a part sound brighter.

Next to it on the circle of fifths

Keys next to each other share six of their seven notes. See them all on the circle of fifths.

D♯ minor in beats

The editor’s starter beat for this style is written in D♯ minor. It opens the free editor with its own drums, bass and chords at its usual tempo, no account needed.

Dub techno · 120 BPM

Questions about D♯ minor

How many sharps are in D♯ minor?

Six: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯. Those notes are played sharp every time, so the key signature has 6 sharps, and F♯ major, its relative major, has the same. The same notes can also be written as E♭ minor, with six flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭ and C♭.

What is the relative major of D♯ minor?

F♯ major. It uses the same seven notes and the same key signature as D♯ minor, but starts on F♯, the third note of the scale. The two share every chord, which is why songs move between them so easily.

What chords are in D♯ minor?

D♯m, E♯dim, F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B and C♯: one built on each note of the scale (i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI, VII). Many songs play the fifth chord as A♯ major instead of A♯m: its C𝄪 pulls hard back to D♯m.

What is a common chord progression in D♯ minor?

i–VI–III–VII: D♯m, B, F♯ and C♯. It is the minor key’s best-known loop, heard in anthems, EDM and film, and it is the one the beat on this page plays.

Every key

Major keys
C majorG majorD majorA majorE majorB majorF♯ majorD♭ majorA♭ majorE♭ majorB♭ majorF major
Minor keys
A minorE minorB minorF♯ minorC♯ minorG♯ minorD♯ minorB♭ minorF minorC minorG minorD minor

Build a song in D♯ minor

Start with the beat, then add chords, a melody and your voice in the editor, part by part.

Make a beat in D♯ minorAll music keys

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