F sharp major scale

The F♯ major scale is F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯ and E♯, with six sharps. From F♯, the steps go whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.

  1. F♯1
  2. whole
  3. G♯2
  4. whole
  5. A♯3
  6. half
  7. B4
  8. whole
  9. C♯5
  10. whole
  11. D♯6
  12. whole
  13. E♯7
  14. half
  15. F♯8
B1E♯1F♯2G♯3A♯4C♯2D♯3F♯2

F♯ major on the staff, piano and guitar

On the staff

♯♯♯♯♯♯F♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯E♯F♯♯♯♯♯♯♯F♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯E♯F♯

On piano

Right hand 2 3 4, then the thumb passes under to B: 1 2 3 1 2.

B1E♯1F♯4G♯3A♯2C♯3D♯2F♯4

Left hand 4 3 2 1, then finger 3 crosses over to C♯: 3 2 1 4.

Fingers are numbered from the thumb, 1, to the little finger, 5. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse.

On guitar

12345EBGDAEE♯F♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯E♯F♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯E♯F♯G♯

Every note of F♯ major between the 1st and 5th fret. The root, F♯, has a heavy ring.

How to play the F sharp major scale on piano

  1. Find F♯, the first black key of a group of three.
  2. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to G♯, a black key.
  3. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to A♯, a black key.
  4. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to B.
  5. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to C♯, a black key.
  6. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to D♯, a black key.
  7. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to E♯ (the white key usually called F).
  8. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to F♯, an octave above where you started.

Practice the F♯ major scale

Play the F♯ major scale one note a beat, up and back down: F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ E♯ D♯ C♯ B A♯ G♯ F♯. Hands separately first. Start at 60 beats a minute and move up toward 100 once every note lands on the beat.

F♯
  1. F♯
  2. G♯
  3. A♯
  4. B
  5. C♯
  6. D♯
  7. E♯
  8. F♯
  9. E♯
  10. D♯
  11. C♯
  12. B
  13. A♯
  14. G♯
  15. F♯

The key of F♯ major

Follow the major pattern from F♯ and six notes need a sharp: F♯, G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯ and E♯. Those six sharps are the key signature.

Relative minor
D♯ minor
Parallel minor
F♯ minor
Neighbors on the circle of fifths
B major and C♯ major
♯♯♯♯♯♯CAmGEmDBmAF♯mEC♯mBC♭IVG♯mA♭miiF♯G♭ID♯mE♭mviD♭C♯VB♭mA♯miiiA♭FmE♭CmB♭GmFDmF♯ major
F♯ major on the circle of fifths, with the chords of its key marked.

The name of each note in the key

  1. 1F♯tonic
  2. 2G♯supertonic
  3. 3A♯mediant
  4. 4Bsubdominant
  5. 5C♯dominant
  6. 6D♯submediant
  7. 7E♯leading tone

Chords in F♯ major

Build a chord on each note of the scale, using only the scale's notes, and you get the seven chords of the key. The numeral is the chord's place in the key: capitals for major, small letters for minor.

  1. IF♯
  2. iiG♯m
  3. iiiA♯m
  4. IVB
  5. VC♯
  6. viD♯m
  7. vii°E♯dim

Modes on the same notes

Start the F♯ major scale on another of its notes and you get a mode, with the same key signature: F♯ ionian, G♯ dorian, A♯ phrygian, B lydian, C♯ mixolydian, D♯ aeolian, E♯ locrian.

Practice notes for the F sharp major scale

F♯ major has six sharps: F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯. Six of its seven notes are sharps; only B is not. The seventh note, E♯, is played on the white key most people call F.

Where it goes wrong. E♯. Readers see a white key and want to call it F, then wonder why the scale seems to skip a letter. It does not. The scale needs one note on each letter, and E♯ is the E. Name it out loud as you play it.

How to practice it. Learn it by the black keys. The right hand starts on finger 2: 2 3 4 for F♯ G♯ A♯, all three black keys of the group, then the thumb passes under to B. Then 2 3 for C♯ D♯, the thumb on E♯, and 2 on F♯. The thumbs only ever play the two white keys, B and E♯. The left hand is 4 3 2 1 from F♯, then 3 crosses over to C♯, and 2 1 4 to the top.

What to listen for. E♯ to F♯ at the top, a half step from white to black. If it sounds too wide, you are playing E, not E♯.

What to learn next. G♭ major, the same keys spelled with six flats, and D♯ minor, its relative minor, which this site files under E♭ minor.

Questions

What are the notes of the F♯ major scale?

F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯ and E♯, then F♯ again an octave up.

What chords are in the key of F♯ major?

F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B, C♯, D♯m and E♯dim: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi and vii°.

Why does F♯ major have six sharps?

Follow the major pattern from F♯ and six notes need a sharp: F♯, G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯ and E♯. Those six sharps are the key signature.

What is the relative minor of F♯ major?

D♯ minor. It uses the same notes and the same key signature, starting on D♯.