Musical scale

E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps (see below: Scales and keys). Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor. Only two of Haydn's 104 symphonies are in E major, No. 12 and No. 29. Even in the 19th Century, symphonies in this key were rare, with Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 being one of very few examples. "The key of E major is frequently associated with music of contemplation." Two...

G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F. (see below: Scales and keys). Its relative minor is E minor, and its parallel minor is G minor. In the treble clef, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom (a lower-octave F note). In the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, "G major is often a key of 6/8...

C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has seven flats — the enharmonically equivalent key signature B major (five sharps) is usually used instead. (see below: Scales and keys). C major is the only major or minor key, other than theoretical key, which has "flat" or "sharp" in its name, but whose tonic note is the enharmonic equivalent of a natural note (a white key on a keyboard instrument). Its relative minor is A-flat minor,...

B major is a major scale based on B, with the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has five sharps (see below: Scales and keys). B major's relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and its enharmonic equivalent is C-flat major. The key signature for B major is the least sharp key signature with three "lines" of sharps. In the treble clef, putting the sharp for A on its expected position relative to the sharp for G would require a ledger line. In the bass...

F major (or the key of F) is a music major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat (see below: Scales and keys). Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor. F major key is the home key of the English horn, the basset horn, the horn in F, the trumpet in F and the bass Wagner tuba. Thus, music in F major for these instruments is written in C major key. Most of these sound a perfect fifth lower than written, with...

E major or E-flat major is a major scale based on E-flat, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats: B, E, A (see below: Scales and keys). Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E-flat minor. E-flat major is often associated with bold, heroic music, in part because of Beethoven's usage. His Eroica Symphony and his Emperor Concerto are both in this key. Also Beethoven's (hypothetical) 10th symphony is in the key of E-flat major. ...

D-flat major is a major scale based on D-flat, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Its key signature has five flats (see below: Scales and keys). The flatted pitches correspond to the black keys of the piano. Its relative minor is B-flat minor, and its parallel minor is D-flat minor, usually replaced by C-sharp minor, since D-flat minor, which would contain a double-flat in the key signature, is rarely used for practical composing and arranging. Thus, in his Prelude No. 15 in D...

G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For the harmonic minor scale, the F is raised to F. Its relative key is B-flat major, and its parallel major is G major. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. G minor is one of two flat key signatures that requires a sharp for the leading tone (the other is D minor). Though Mozart touched on various minor keys in his symphonies, G...

A minor (abbreviated Am) is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G. Its key signature has no flats or sharps (see below: Scales and keys). Its relative key is C major, and its parallel major is A major. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. Johann Joachim Quantz considered A minor, along with C minor, much more suitable for expressing "the...

C major (or C-sharp major) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has seven sharps (see below: Scales and keys). Its relative minor is A-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is C-sharp minor. Its enharmonic equivalent is D-flat major. A harp tuned to C-sharp major has all its pedals in the bottom position. Because all the strings are then pinched and shortened, this is the least resonant key for the instrument. Although most composers...

F-sharp minor is a minor scale based on F-sharp, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. For the harmonic minor, the E is raised to E. Its key signature has three sharps (see below: Scales and keys). The third (slow) movement from Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata is in F-sharp minor. Its relative major is A major, and its parallel major is F-sharp major. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. Very few...

G-sharp minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For the harmonic minor, the F is raised to F. Its key signature has five sharps (see below: Scales and keys). Its relative major is B major, and its parallel major is G-sharp major, usually replaced by A-flat major, its enharmonic equivalent. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. Few symphonies are written in G sharp minor;...

A minor or A-sharp minor is a minor scale based on A-sharp. The A minor scale has pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. For the natural minor scale, G is used instead of G. Its key signature has seven sharps (see below: Scales and keys). Its relative major is C-sharp major. Its parallel major is A-sharp major, usually replaced by B-flat major, since A-sharp major has 10 sharps. However, occasionally brief passages in this key may not be changed to B-flat major: for example, Chopin's Polonaise...

B or B-flat minor is a minor scale based on B-flat, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has five flats. The harmonic minor scale would use an A instead of A Its relative key is D-flat major, and its parallel major is B-flat major. Its enharmonic equivalent is A-sharp minor. B-flat minor "is traditionally a 'dark' key." Some important oboe solos in this key in the orchestral literature include the second movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, which depicts ...

A-flat minor is a minor scale based on A-flat, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. For the harmonic minor, the G is raised to G. Its key signature has seven flats (see below: Scales and keys). Its relative key is C-flat major (or, enharmonically, B major), and its parallel major is A-flat major. Its enharmonic equivalent is G-sharp minor. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. Although A-flat minor occurs...