A-sharp minor

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A minor
Image:C-sharp_Major_key_signature.png
Relative key C major
Parallel key A major
(B major)
Enharmonic B minor
Component pitches
A#, B, C, D, E, F, G, A#
Also see: A-sharp major, or A minor.

A minor or A-sharp 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 natural minor scale, Gdouble sharp 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, usually replaced by B-flat major, since A-sharp major has 10 sharps. However, occasionally brief passages in this key may not be changed to B-flat major: for example, Chopin's Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61 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, from which A-sharp major is briefly modulated to.

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

Contents

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.

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[edit] Scales and keys