A-sharp minor is a minor musical scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its

key signature In Western musical notation, a key signature is a set of sharp (), flat (), or rarely, natural () symbols placed on the staff at the beginning of a section of music. The initial key signature in a piece is placed immediately after the clef at ...

has seven sharps, while the direct

enharmonic equivalent In modern musical notation and tuning, an enharmonic equivalent is a note, interval, or key signature that is equivalent to some other note, interval, or key signature but "spelled", or named differently. The enharmonic spelling of a written n ...

B-flat minor B-flat minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has five flats. Its relative major is D-flat major and its parallel major is B-flat major. Its enharmonic equivalent, A-sha ...

, has five flats. Its

relative major In music, relative keys are the major and minor scales that have the same key signatures (enharmonically equivalent), meaning that they share all the same notes but are arranged in a different order of whole steps and half steps. A pair of major an ...

C-sharp major C-sharp major (or the key of C-sharp) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. It is enharmonically equivalent to D-flat major. Its key signature has seven sharps. The C-sharp major scale is: : I ...

(or enharmonically

D-flat major D-flat major (or the key of D-flat) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Its key signature has five flats. It is enharmonically equivalent to C-sharp major. The D-flat major scale is: : Its r ...

), and its parallel major is A-sharp major, usually replaced by

B-flat major B-flat major is a major scale based on B, with pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative minor is G minor and its parallel minor is B-flat minor. The B-flat major scale is: : Many transposing instr ...

, since A-sharp major's three double-sharps make it impractical to use. A-sharp minor is likely the least used minor key in music as it is not generally considered a practical key for composition. The enharmonic equivalent

, which only contains five flats as opposed to A-sharp minor's seven sharps, is preferable to use. The A-sharp

natural minor scale In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which also ...

is: : Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. The A-sharp

harmonic minor In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which also ...

and melodic minor scales are: : : In

Christian Heinrich Rinck Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck (18 February 1770 – 23 July 1846) was a German composer and organist of the late classical and early romantic eras. Life and career Rinck was born in Elgersburg (in present-day Thuringia), and died in Darms ...

's 30 Preludes and Exercises in all major and minor keys, Op. 67, the 16th Prelude and Exercise is in A-sharp minor. In Bach's

Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp major, BWV 848 Prelude and Fugue in C sharp Major, BWV 848, is a keyboard composition written by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is the third prelude and fugue in the first book of ''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer ...

, a brief section near the beginning of the piece modulates to A-sharp minor.

External links

Overview of compositions with 7 accidentals
{{Circle of fifths Musical keys Minor scales