Chords in every key · 6 sharps
Chords in the key of D♯ minor
The seven chords in D♯ minor are D♯m, E♯°, F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B and C♯. D♯ minor has six sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯.
The seven chords
Play the chords of D♯ minor
Tap a chord to hear it. The A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. is its place in the key; the colour is its job: home, moving away, or pulling back home.
None of the chords in D♯ minor has an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em., so you play them as A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck., or put a A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on and use open shapes from an easier key.
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Key signature and scale
The D♯ minor scale
D♯ minor has six sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯.
- D♯1
- E♯2
- F♯♭3
- G♯4
- A♯5
- B♭6
- C♯♭7
- D♯, the tonic
- Other scale notes
Progressions
Common chord progressions in D♯ minor
The same patterns of A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. turn up in thousands of songs. Here they are in this key, ready to play.
Minor pop
i – VI – III – VII
- D♯m
- B
- F♯
- C♯
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Minor pop in every keyAndalusian cadence
i – VII – VI – V
- D♯m
- C♯
- B
- A♯
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Andalusian cadence in every keyMinor ii–V–i
iiø7 – V7 – i7
- E♯m7♭5
- A♯7
- D♯m7
Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.
Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves
Minor ii–V–i in every key
Related keys
Keys close to D♯ minor
Keys that share most of their notes sound natural side by side, which is why songs so often move between them.
- Relative major: same notesF♯ majorF♯, G♯m, A♯m, B, C♯, D♯m and E♯°
- Parallel major: same tonicD♯ majorPlayed and usually written as E♭ majorE♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭, Cm and D°
- One step anticlockwiseG♯ minorG♯m, A♯°, B, C♯m, D♯m, E and F♯
- One step clockwiseA♯ minorA♯m, B♯°, C♯, D♯m, E♯m, F♯ and G♯
Capo
Play D♯ minor with a capo
D♯ minor's main chords are D♯m, G♯m, A♯m and B. With the A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 6, play them as Am, Dm, Em and F: three of the four are A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em..
Two spellings
D♯ minor and E♭ minor
D♯ minor has six sharps, E♭ minor six flats. D♯ minor spells one note unusually: E♯ (played as F). Both spellings are in common use.
D♯ minor
6 sharps
D♯m, E♯°, F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B and C♯
E♭ minor
6 flats
E♭m, F°, G♭, A♭m, B♭m, C♭ and D♭
Both sound exactly the same and use the same The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step.. The spelling only matters when you read or write the music: each letter appears once in a key, so the notes keep the names the key gives them. See the chords in E♭ minor.
Questions
D♯ minor, in short
- What chords are in the key of D♯ minor?
- The seven chords in D♯ minor are D♯m, E♯°, F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B and C♯. D♯ minor has six sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯.
- What is the relative major of D♯ minor?
- F♯ major. It uses the same seven notes and the same The sharps or flats written at the start of each line of music, telling you which notes the key changes. as D♯ minor, so the two keys share all their chords.
- How many sharps are in D♯ minor?
- D♯ minor has six sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯.
- Which keys are next to D♯ minor on the circle of fifths?
- G♯ minor (one step anticlockwise) and A♯ minor (one step clockwise). Their chords overlap most with D♯ minor's, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.
- Is D♯ minor the same as E♭ minor?
- They sound the same: every note and chord is played on the same The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step.. Only the spelling differs. D♯ minor has six sharps, E♭ minor six flats. D♯ minor spells one note unusually: E♯ (played as F). Both spellings are in common use.