F-sharp major
F-sharp major is a major key and scale based on the note F♯, consisting of the pitches F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, and F♯, following the standard major scale pattern of whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half steps.[1] Its key signature features six sharps—F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, and E♯—positioned in that order on the staff, making it one of the more complex sharp keys in the circle of fifths.[1] The relative minor of F-sharp major is D-sharp minor, which shares the same key signature, while its parallel minor is F-sharp minor, which has three sharps (F♯, C♯, and G♯).[2] Enharmonically equivalent to G-flat major, F-sharp major is often preferred in sharp-based contexts or for instruments like violin that favor sharps over flats, though the abundance of accidentals can make notation challenging for performers and engravers.[1] Despite its relative rarity in large-scale orchestral works owing to the key's technical demands, F-sharp major has been employed in several prominent compositions, particularly for piano and chamber music. Notable examples include Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp major, Op. 78 ("À Thérèse"), composed in 1809 as a lyrical dedication to Countess Thérèse von Brunswick,[3] and Frédéric Chopin's Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60, a late-period masterpiece from 1846 evoking Venetian gondola songs through its undulating rhythms and dramatic contrasts. Other significant pieces encompass Robert Schumann's Romance No. 2 in F-sharp major, Op. 28, and Franz Liszt's Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, S. 173. These works highlight the key's capacity for expressive warmth and intimacy in Romantic-era repertoire.Scale and Notation
Scale Construction
The F-sharp major scale consists of the ascending notes F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, and F♯, spanning one octave from the tonic F♯.[4][5] This sequence follows the standard diatonic pattern for all major scales, incorporating seven distinct pitches before returning to the octave.[6] The interval structure of the F-sharp major scale adheres to the major scale formula: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step (W-W-H-W-W-W-H).[7] This pattern ensures the characteristic sound of the major mode, with the half steps occurring between the third and fourth degrees (A♯ to B) and the seventh and eighth degrees (E♯ to F♯).[6] The seventh degree, E♯, is enharmonically equivalent to F natural but is notated as E♯ to function as the leading tone, creating a half-step resolution to the tonic F♯ and preserving the major scale's intervallic relationships, including the major seventh from the root.[8][9] This notation avoids altering the diatonic stepwise ascent and emphasizes the scale's harmonic pull toward resolution.[10] The scale can be divided into two tetrachords: the lower tetrachord (F♯-G♯-A♯-B) following a W-W-H pattern, connected by a whole step to the upper tetrachord (C♯-D♯-E♯-F♯), which mirrors the same W-W-H structure.[6] This tetrachordal organization provides a modular way to construct and memorize major scales across all keys.[6] In the circle of fifths, F-sharp major occupies the position of the sixth key in the sequence of sharp keys, requiring six sharps in its key signature and located clockwise from B major.[11] This placement reflects its derivation through successive fifths from C major, accumulating sharps progressively.[11]Key Signature
The key signature of F-sharp major consists of six sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, and E♯, arranged in that order from right to left following the standard sequence of sharps derived from the circle of fifths.[1] This sequence begins with F♯ for the key of G major and adds one sharp per step clockwise around the circle, reaching six sharps for F-sharp major, which lies six fifths away from C major.[12] The circle of fifths itself, a foundational tool for organizing key signatures and tonal relationships, was first documented in print by Ukrainian composer Nikolay Diletsky in his 1679 treatise Grammatika musikiyskogo peniya.[13] In the treble clef, these sharps are positioned on the staff to correspond to their respective note locations: F♯ on the top line, C♯ in the space between the third and fourth lines from the bottom, G♯ on the second line from the bottom, D♯ on the fourth line from the bottom, A♯ in the space between the second and third lines from the bottom, and E♯ in the top space.[14] In the bass clef, the placement shifts to accommodate the lower register: F♯ on the fourth line from the bottom, C♯ in the second space from the bottom, G♯ on the bottom line, D♯ on the third line from the bottom, A♯ on the top line, and E♯ in the third space from the bottom.[15] These positions ensure that each sharp symbol aligns directly with the line or space it modifies, applying the alteration to all subsequent notes on that position unless canceled by a natural or other accidental. This notational convention simplifies reading and performance by eliminating the need to mark each sharpened note individually throughout a composition, a practical evolution from earlier Renaissance practices where accidentals were applied more sporadically.[16] The key signature thus serves as a visual shorthand, immediately signaling to performers the tonal center and required adjustments to the natural diatonic scale.Related Keys
Relative and Parallel Minors
The relative minor of F-sharp major is D-sharp minor, which begins on the sixth scale degree of the F-sharp major scale and shares the same key signature of six sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯).[8][17] The natural minor scale in D-sharp minor consists of the notes D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, requiring no additional accidentals beyond the shared key signature.[17] In music theory, the relative minor is defined as the minor key that shares the identical key signature and set of pitches with its major counterpart but starts on the sixth degree, facilitating smooth modulations without altering the overall tonal material.[18] The parallel minor of F-sharp major is F-sharp minor, which shares the same tonic note (F♯) but employs the natural minor scale pattern, resulting in a distinct key signature of three sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯). The natural minor scale in F-sharp minor comprises the notes F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D, E, differing from F-sharp major by flattening the third, sixth, and seventh degrees.[19] This relationship emphasizes a modal shift within the same root while changing the mode from major to minor, often used to introduce borrowed chords or emotional contrast in compositions.[18] Interval-wise, the tonic of the relative minor lies a minor third below the major tonic (from F♯ to D♯), preserving the shared pitches, whereas the parallel minor maintains the identical tonic but lowers the major third to a minor third (A♯ to A), altering the mode without changing the root.[20] The terminology "relative" highlights the shared key signature and pitch content, derived from their close intervallic and tonal kinship, while "parallel" underscores the common tonic despite differing signatures.Enharmonic Equivalent
The enharmonic equivalent of F-sharp major is G-flat major, which consists of the same pitches but notated differently: G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭.[21] The key signature of G-flat major features six flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, and C♭.[22] Composers and performers choose between F-sharp major and G-flat major notation based on contextual factors, such as the surrounding key signatures and instrument capabilities; F-sharp major is often preferred in sharp-key progressions or for string instruments like the violin, where it facilitates smoother fingerings and modulations to related sharp keys, while G-flat major is favored for brass instruments tuned in flat keys or for piano works emphasizing readability with fewer double sharps.[23][24] Historical examples of this enharmonic equivalence appear in orchestral and piano repertoire, such as Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 10, notated in F-sharp major to suit string-dominated ensembles and sharp-key modulations, and Frédéric Chopin's Impromptu No. 3, Op. 51, written in G-flat major to leverage the key's black-key patterns on the piano.[25][26] Enharmonic reinterpretation often occurs in modulations, where a pivot chord like a fully diminished seventh is respelled—for instance, from F-sharp major's perspective to G-flat major's—to exploit the equivalence for dramatic shifts without altering the sound.[27]Harmony
Diatonic Chords
In F-sharp major, the diatonic triads are built by stacking thirds on each scale degree, using only notes from the F♯ major scale (F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯).[28] These seven triads follow the standard major key pattern of major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, and diminished qualities, labeled with Roman numerals where uppercase denotes major, lowercase minor, and ° diminished.[29]| Roman Numeral | Chord Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | F♯ major | F♯–A♯–C♯ |
| ii | G♯ minor | G♯–B–D♯ |
| iii | A♯ minor | A♯–C♯–E♯ |
| IV | B major | B–D♯–F♯ |
| V | C♯ major | C♯–E♯–G♯ |
| vi | D♯ minor | D♯–F♯–A♯ |
| vii° | E♯ diminished | E♯–G♯–B |
| Roman Numeral | Chord Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I⁷ | F♯ major seventh | F♯–A♯–C♯–E♯ |
| ii⁷ | G♯ minor seventh | G♯–B–D♯–F♯ |
| iii⁷ | A♯ minor seventh | A♯–C♯–E♯–G♯ |
| IV⁷ | B major seventh | B–D♯–F♯–A♯ |
| V⁷ | C♯ dominant seventh | C♯–E♯–G♯–B |
| vi⁷ | D♯ minor seventh | D♯–F♯–A♯–C♯ |
| viiø⁷ | E♯ half-diminished seventh | E♯–G♯–B–D♯ |