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E in D♭ major

In D♭ major, E is E♭ (flat)

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

Is E flat in D♭ major?

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

The signature of D♭ major is five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭. E♭ 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 E♭ 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♭ — the letter on this page
  • F is F (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
  • G is G♭
  • A is A♭
  • B is B♭

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

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

Frequently asked questions

Is E flat in D♭ major?
Yes. D♭ major has five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭, and E♭ is one of them, so every E in the key is played as E♭.
What accidental does E carry in D♭ major?
E is E♭ (flat). The signature of D♭ major is five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭. E♭ 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.