Piano scales · Major
F♯ major scale on piano
The F♯ major scale (also called G♭ major) has seven notes and 6 sharps. Here it is on the keyboard, with the fingering, the chords in the key and a button to hear it.
F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯ · tap any key to hear it
The notes
F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, and back to F♯. E♯ is played on the key F; it's written E♯ so that every letter is used once.
Every major scale follows the same pattern of steps: whole – whole – half – whole – whole – whole – half. A whole step skips one key; a half step goes to the very next key, black or white.
Key signature
F♯ major has 6 sharps: F♯, G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯, E♯. Music in F♯ major shows these at the start of every line.
Its relative minor is E♭ minor: the same notes, starting from E♭. See every key on the circle of fifths, and all the key signatures.
Fingering
The rule for every scale: keep your thumb off the black keys, and pass it under after the group of black keys, so your fingers 2–3 or 2–3–4 cover them. Find a fingering that follows that rule, write it on your music, and use the same one every time.
Chords in F♯ major
Build a chord on each note of the scale, using only the scale's notes, and you get the seven chords of the key:
How to practise it
- Hands separately first, slowly, with a metronome. Evenness matters more than speed: every note the same length and the same weight.
- Watch the thumb: it should pass under smoothly, without the hand jumping.
- When it's even at a slow speed, go up a few clicks. Then hands together, an octave apart.
Is your scale even? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a note that comes early or loud. Then it shows you how it should go.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the F♯ major scale?
F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, then F♯ again.
How many sharps or flats does F♯ major have?
F♯ major has 6 sharps: F♯, G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯, E♯.
What is the relative minor of F♯ major?
E♭ minor, which uses the same notes starting from E♭.