Music keys
Every major and minor key, each with its scale on a piano, its chords, its key signature and its relative key. Pick one, then hear its chords as a beat.
Key signature chart
Round the circle of fifths from C: each step adds a sharp, or takes away a flat. A major key and its relative minor share a row, because they share a key signature.
| Major key | Relative minor | Key signature | Major scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | A minor | No sharps or flats | C D E F G A B |
| G major | E minor | 1 sharp: F♯ | G A B C D E F♯ |
| D major | B minor | 2 sharps: F♯ C♯ | D E F♯ G A B C♯ |
| A major | F♯ minor | 3 sharps: F♯ C♯ G♯ | A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ |
| E major | C♯ minor | 4 sharps: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ | E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ |
| B major | G♯ minor | 5 sharps: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ | B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ |
| F♯ major | D♯ minor | 6 sharps: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ (or 6 flats: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭) | F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ |
| D♭ major | B♭ minor | 5 flats: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ | D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C |
| A♭ major | F minor | 4 flats: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ | A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G |
| E♭ major | C minor | 3 flats: B♭ E♭ A♭ | E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D |
| B♭ major | G minor | 2 flats: B♭ E♭ | B♭ C D E♭ F G A |
| F major | D minor | 1 flat: B♭ | F G A B♭ C D E |
The order of sharps and flats
Sharps
F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯
Each key up the circle adds the next one: G major has F♯, D major F♯ and C♯.
Flats
B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭
The same letters backwards. Each key down the circle adds the next: F major has B♭, B♭ major B♭ and E♭.
Frequently asked questions
How many keys are there in music?
Twenty-four that sound different: a major and a minor key on each of the 12 notes. Three major keys can be written two ways (B or C♭, F♯ or G♭, D♭ or C♯), and so can their relative minors, which is why some charts list 30.
What is a key signature?
The sharps or flats written at the start of every line of music. They say which notes are played sharp or flat all the way through, so each one does not need marking. G major has one sharp (F♯) and F major one flat (B♭).
What is the order of sharps and flats?
Sharps join a key signature in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B. Flats use the same letters backwards: B, E, A, D, G, C, F. A key with three sharps has the first three, F♯, C♯ and G♯.
What is the difference between a major and a minor key?
The third note of the scale. A major key’s third is four half steps above the home note, which sounds bright; a minor key’s is three, which sounds darker. Every major key shares all its notes with a minor key three half steps below it, its relative minor.
How do I find the key of a song?
Open the song key finder: it listens to a file in your browser and names the most likely key. Or look for the chord the song keeps coming home to, and check its notes against the scales here.
Need a song’s key first? Try the song key finder. Want chords that fit together? Try the chord progression generator.
Make a beat in any key
Start with a beat, then add chords, a melody and your voice in the editor, part by part. No account needed to start.
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