In D♭ major, F is F (natural)The key signature of D♭ major does not alter F, so it stays natural.

Is F sharp or flat in D♭ major?

In D♭ major, F is natural: the key signature has five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭, and none of them falls on F, so you play the plain F unless a written accidental says otherwise.

The signature of D♭ major is five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭. It alters only B, E, A, D and G, so F is left alone.

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 F 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) — the letter on this page
  • 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 F is natural there too.

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

Frequently asked questions

Is F sharp or flat in D♭ major?
No. D♭ major has five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭ — none of them on F, so F is natural in this key.
What accidental does F carry in D♭ major?
F stays natural. The signature of D♭ major is five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭. It alters only B, E, A, D and G, so F is left alone.
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.