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G♯ minor

G♯ minor has 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯). Its scale is G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯, its chords are G♯m, A♯dim, B, C♯m, D♯m, E and F♯, and its relative major is B major.

Make a beat in G♯ minorWrite a melody in this key

Opens the free editor with a trap beat on G♯m E B F♯. No account needed to start.

The G♯ minor scale

Whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole: the half steps come between A♯ and B, and between D♯ and E.

G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯

BEG♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯

On the piano, G♯ minor uses 5 black keys (G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯) and 2 white keys (B and E).

The notes of G♯ minor by scale degree
DegreeNoteName
1G♯Tonic
2A♯Supertonic
3BMediant
4C♯Subdominant
5D♯Dominant
6ESubmediant
7F♯Subtonic

The raised seventh

Many songs in G♯ minor raise F♯ to F𝄪 (a double sharp, played on the G key). That makes the harmonic minor scale, G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F𝄪, and turns the fifth chord from D♯m into D♯ major, which pulls hard back to G♯m. The editor’s minor progressions play the fifth chord that way.

Chords in G♯ minor

One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. The Roman numeral says which note it starts on: capitals are major, small letters minor.

iG♯m
ii°A♯dim
IIIB
ivC♯m
vD♯m
VIE
VIIF♯

Which chords sound happy or sad

Dark

G♯m C♯m D♯m

i, iv, v. The minor chords. G♯m is home, and the key’s sad colour.

Lifting

B E F♯

III, VI, VII. The major chords, which bring light into a minor song.

Tense

A♯dim

ii°. Diminished: tense and unstable, so most minor songs use it only in passing.

A progression in G♯ minor

The epic minor · i–VI–III–VII
G♯m
E
B
F♯
Hear it as

More progressions in G♯ minor

Key signature and related keys

Key signature

5 sharps: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯

Written at the start of every line of music, so each F, C, G, D and A is played sharp. Sharps join in the order F C G D A E B, and flats in the order B E A D G C F.

Relative major

B major

The same seven notes and key signature, starting on B.

Parallel major

A♭ major

The same home note (A♭ is G♯ written another way), with 4 flats. Borrowing a chord from it makes a part sound brighter.

Next to it on the circle of fifths

Keys next to each other share six of their seven notes. See them all on the circle of fifths.

G♯ minor in beats

None of the editor’s genre starters is written in G♯ minor, so the beat above plays its chords over lo-fi, pop, trap, house or drill drums. Set the editor’s project key to G♯ minor and the chords and parts you add next follow it.

Questions about G♯ minor

How many sharps are in G♯ minor?

Five: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯. Those notes are played sharp every time, so the key signature has 5 sharps, and B major, its relative major, has the same.

What is the relative major of G♯ minor?

B major. It uses the same seven notes and the same key signature as G♯ minor, but starts on B, the third note of the scale. The two share every chord, which is why songs move between them so easily.

What chords are in G♯ minor?

G♯m, A♯dim, B, C♯m, D♯m, E and F♯: one built on each note of the scale (i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI, VII). Many songs play the fifth chord as D♯ major instead of D♯m: its F𝄪 pulls hard back to G♯m.

What is a common chord progression in G♯ minor?

i–VI–III–VII: G♯m, E, B and F♯. It is the minor key’s best-known loop, heard in anthems, EDM and film, and it is the one the beat on this page plays.

Every key

Major keys
C majorG majorD majorA majorE majorB majorF♯ majorD♭ majorA♭ majorE♭ majorB♭ majorF major
Minor keys
A minorE minorB minorF♯ minorC♯ minorG♯ minorD♯ minorB♭ minorF minorC minorG minorD minor

Build a song in G♯ minor

Start with the beat, then add chords, a melody and your voice in the editor, part by part.

Make a beat in G♯ minorAll music keys

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