Hot Contents: A♯ minor

2011/05/22

A♯ minor

A-sharp minor

A ♯ minor
Component pitches

Relative key	C♯ major enharmonic: D♭ major
Parallel key	A♯ major enharmonic: (B♭ major)
Enharmonic	B♭ minor
A♯, B♯, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯

A-sharp minor or A♯ minor is a minor scale based on A-sharp. The A♯ minor scale has pitches A♯, B♯, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, and G♯. For the harmonic minor scale, G is used instead of G♯. Its key signature has seven sharps (see below: Scales and keys).

Its relative major is C-sharp major. Its parallel major is A-sharp major. This is usually replaced by B-flat major, since A-sharp major has 10 sharps. Exceptions include Chopin's Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61, which has a brief passage of about 6 bars actually notated in A-sharp major, inserting the necessary double-sharps as accidentals. The overall harmonic context is an extended theme in B major, which briefly modulates to A-sharp major.

The direct enharmonic equivalent of A-sharp minor is B-flat minor.

Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary.

The enharmonic equivalent B-flat minor is often used in most musical compositions instead of A-sharp minor, thus indicating that A-sharp minor is not a practical key for compositions and is one of the least used minor keys in music. However, there were some composers in previous centuries that have composed music in this key.