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A in D♭ major

In D♭ major, A is A♭ (flat)

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In D♭ major, A is A♭ (flat)The key signature of D♭ major puts a flat on every A.

Is A flat in D♭ major?

In D♭ major, A is A♭: the key signature puts a flat on every A, in every octave, for as long as that signature stands.

The signature of D♭ major is five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭. A♭ is one of them, which is why you never see a flat written next to the note — the signature at the start of the staff already said it.

Spelled from the tonic, the D♭ major scale runs D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C — one of each letter, each carrying whatever the signature gives it. The staff above draws the D♭ major signature and the note A♭ inside it — exactly as you would meet it in a piece written in this key.

Every letter in D♭ major

D♭ major has five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭. That fixes what each of the seven letters is called in this key:

  • C is C (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
  • D is D♭
  • E is E♭
  • F is F (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
  • G is G♭
  • A is A♭ — the letter on this page
  • B is B♭

D♭ major shares its signature with its relative B♭ minor — the same sharps or flats, so A is A♭ there too.

D♭ major and C♯ major are the same key on the keyboard, written two different ways — so they answer this question differently: A is A♭ in D♭ major, and A♯ in C♯ major.

Frequently asked questions

Is A flat in D♭ major?
Yes. D♭ major has five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭, and A♭ is one of them, so every A in the key is played as A♭.
What accidental does A carry in D♭ major?
A is A♭ (flat). The signature of D♭ major is five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭. A♭ is one of them, which is why you never see a flat written next to the note — the signature at the start of the staff already said it.
What sharps or flats are in D♭ major?
D♭ major has five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭ — written in that order at the start of the staff.
How is the D♭ major scale spelled?
From the tonic up: D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C. Each letter appears once, carrying whatever the key signature gives it.