Key signature names and translations

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When a particular musical key or key signature is not described in the English language, there are two main systems that are used instead:

1. Fixed do solmization - used in Italian and French key references.
2. German key notation - used in German key references.

To construct a key description, locate the note name from the pitch translation table and append a major/minor alteration from the lower table where required.

Pitch translation table alphabetic systems solmization systems English German Italian French Spanish Russian C C Do Do Do До C sharp Cis Do diesis Do dièse Do sostenido До диез C flat Ces Do bemolle Do bémol Do bemol До бемоль D D Re Ré Re Ре D sharp Dis Re diesis Ré dièse Re sostenido Ре диез D flat Des Re bemolle Ré bémol Re bemol Ре бемоль E E Mi Mi Mi Ми E sharp Eis Mi diesis Mi dièse Mi sostenido Ми диез E flat Es Mi bemolle Mi bémol Mi bemol Ми бемоль F F Fa Fa Fa Фа F sharp Fis Fa diesis Fa dièse Fa sostenido Фа диез F flat Fes Fa bemolle Fa bémol Fa bemol Фа бемоль G G Sol Sol Sol Соль G sharp Gis Sol diesis Sol dièse Sol sostenido Соль диез G flat Ges Sol bemolle Sol bémol Sol bemol Соль бемоль A A La La La Ля A sharp Ais La diesis La dièse La sostenido Ля диез A flat As La bemolle La bémol La bemol Ля бемоль B H Si Si Si Си B sharp His Si diesis Si dièse Si sostenido Си диез B flat B Si bemolle Si bémol Si bemol Си бемоль

Major/minor alteration English German Italian French Spanish Russian major Dur maggiore majeur mayor мажор minor Moll minore mineur menor минор

Note that the 'major' alteration is usually superfluous, as a key description missing an alteration is invariably assumed to be major.

In the German notation scheme, a hyphen is usually added between the pitch and the alteration—for example, D-Dur—and due to its terse nature, the 'major' indicator, Dur is invariably appended.

For example, to describe Bach's Mass in B minor one could use:

• B minor (English)
• H-Moll (German)
• Si minore (Italian)
• Si mineur (French)
• Si menor (Spanish)
• Си минор (Russian)