D♯ Aeolian

Melancholic, natural minor — built from F♯ major

PARENT FAMILY · F♯ MAJ

All 7 modes share the same parent scale (F♯ major). D♯ Aeolian is the VI mode.

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	F♯ Ionian	F♯maj7 – G♯m7 – A♯m7 – Bmaj7 – C♯7 – D♯m7 – Fm7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	G♯ Dorian	G♯m7 – A♯m7 – Bmaj7 – C♯7 – D♯m7 – Fm7♭5 – F♯maj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	A♯ Phrygian	A♯m7 – Bmaj7 – C♯7 – D♯m7 – Fm7♭5 – F♯maj7 – G♯m7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	B Lydian	Bmaj7 – C♯7 – D♯m7 – Fm7♭5 – F♯maj7 – G♯m7 – A♯m7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	C♯ Mixolydian	C♯7 – D♯m7 – Fm7♭5 – F♯maj7 – G♯m7 – A♯m7 – Bmaj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	D♯ Aeolian	D♯m7 – Fm7♭5 – F♯maj7 – G♯m7 – A♯m7 – Bmaj7 – C♯7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	F Locrian	Fm7♭5 – G♭maj7 – A♭m7 – B♭m7 – Bmaj7 – D♭7 – E♭m7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

D♯ F F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯

Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

The Aeolian scale on D♯ contains the notes D♯, F, F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯. The pentatonic subset is D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, C♯.

Characteristic note: the ♭6 (flat sixth) deepens its melancholic minor character.

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

D♯m7

II

Fm7♭5

III

F♯maj7

IV

G♯m7

V

A♯m7

VI

Bmaj7

VII

C♯7

▸ Play D♯ Aeolian over D♯m7 and C♯7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · MELANCHOLIC, NATURAL MINOR

MELANCHOLIC, NATURAL MINOR

D♯ Aeolian is a minor mode with a melancholic, natural minor character. It is the VI mode of F♯ major — it uses the same 7 notes as F♯ Ionian but is rooted on D♯, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is D♯m7.

Where to use D♯ Aeolian

Rock, pop, classical, metal.

Famous examples

Stairway to Heaven
Hotel California
Sultans of Swing

What makes it distinctive: the ♭6 (flat sixth) deepens its melancholic minor character.

RELATED KEYS