G flat major

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G♭ major

Relative key	E♭ minor
Parallel key	G♭ minor enharmonic: F♯ minor
Component pitches
G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, G♭

G flat major is a major scale based on G flat, consisting of the pitches G flat, A flat, B flat, C flat (enharmonic to B natural,) D flat, E flat, F, and G flat. Its key signature consists of six flats.

Its relative minor is E flat minor, and its parallel minor is G flat minor, usually replaced by F sharp minor, since G flat minor, which would have nine flats, is not normally used. Its enharmonic equivalent is F sharp major, whose key signature has as many sharps as G flat major has flats. In writing music in E major for B flat instruments, it is preferable to use a G flat rather an F sharp key signature.

Hardly chosen as the main key for orchestral works, G flat major is more often used as a main key for piano works, such as the impromptus of Chopin and Schubert.

Austrian composer Gustav Mahler was fond of using G flat major in key passages of his symphonies; examples include: The choral entry during the finale of his Second Symphony,^[1] during the first movement of his Third Symphony,^[2] the modulatory section of the Adagietto from his Fifth Symphony,^[3] and during the Rondo-Finale of his Seventh Symphony.^[4] Mahler's Tenth Symphony was composed in the enharmonic key of F sharp major.

[edit] Well-known music in this key

• Lithium - Evanescence
• Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan and the cover by Guns N' Roses
• Impromptu D. 899 No. 3 by Schubert
• The Winner Takes It All - ABBA
• Tailgunner by Iron Maiden
• Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
• Humoresques, Op. 101: No. 7 – Antonín Dvořák
• "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" from the film The Lion King
• Un Bel Dì Vendremo, aria from the Puccini opera Madame Butterfly
• Several movements in "Trial of Tears" by Dream Theater
• Mister Cladwell from the musical Urinetown
• What Sweeter Music and Candlelight Carol by John Rutter
• Crystal - New Order
• "Gravity Man" theme song (Mega Man 5)
• Etude Op. 10, No. 5 "Black Keys" by Frederic Chopin
• When I Come Around - Green Day
• Yellow Submarine - The Beatles

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Mahler, Gustav. Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 in Full Score, Dover, ISBN 0-486-25473-9 (1987) p. 354.
2. ^ Mahler, Gustav. Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 in Full Score, Dover, ISBN 0-486-26166-2 (1989), p. 53.
3. ^ Mahler, Gustav. Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6 in Full Score, Dover, ISBN 0-486-26888-8 (1991), p. 175.
4. ^ Mahler, Gustav. Symphony No. 7 in Full Score, Dover, ISBN 0-486-27339-3 (1992), p. 223.

Diatonic Scales and Keys
	Flats Sharps Major minor Major minor 0 C (Major), a (minor) 1 F d G e 2 B♭ g D b 3 E♭ c A f♯ 4 A♭ f E c♯ 5 D♭ b♭ B g♯ 6 G♭ e♭ F♯ d♯ 7 C♭ a♭ C♯ a♯
lower case letters are minor the table indicates the number of sharps or flats in each scale