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C sharp minor scale

The natural minor scale: the eight notes, fingering for both hands and the key signature.

The short answer

The notes of the C sharp minor scale are C sharp, D sharp, E, F sharp, G sharp, A and B, and then C sharp again at the top.

On the keys

Keyboard with the C sharp minor scale marked: C sharp, D sharp, E, F sharp, G sharp, A and BEABC♯D♯F♯G♯C♯

Yellow is the starting note, and the same note again an octave up.

On the staff

Treble and bass staves showing the C sharp minor scale, one octave: C sharp, D sharp, E, F sharp, G sharp, A and BC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯

One octave of C sharp minor, with the key signature at the start of each staff. C sharp minor has four sharps in its key signature: F sharp, C sharp, G sharp and D sharp. The right hand reads the treble clef; the left plays the same notes an octave lower, on the bass clef.

Fingering

One octave going up. The thumb is 1 and the little finger is 5. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse order.

HandC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯
Right34123123
Left32143213

Key signature

C sharp minor has four sharps in its key signature: F sharp, C sharp, G sharp and D sharp. This is the natural minor, so it uses the key signature of its relative major, E major.

Harmonic and melodic minor

The natural minor is one of three minor scales. The harmonic minor raises the seventh note by a semitone, which gives C sharp minor a leading note a semitone below the top: C sharp, D sharp, E, F sharp, G sharp, A and B sharp. The melodic minor raises the sixth and seventh notes going up: C sharp, D sharp, E, F sharp, G sharp, A sharp and B sharp. Coming down it goes back to the natural minor.

Keep going

i chord: C sharp minor

C sharp, E and G sharp.

iv chord: F sharp minor

F sharp, A and C sharp.

v chord: G sharp minor

G sharp, B and D sharp.

E major scale

The relative major: the same seven notes and the same key signature, starting on E.

C sharp major scale

C sharp major, written here as D flat major: the same keys on the piano, spelled differently. Same starting note, a different mood.

Questions

How many sharps does the C sharp minor scale have?

C sharp minor has four sharps in its key signature: F sharp, C sharp, G sharp and D sharp.

What is the fingering for the C sharp minor scale?

For one octave going up, the right hand uses 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 and the left hand uses 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3.

Practise C sharp minor and the other scales in PlayPiano, a piano practice app for iPhone and iPad.

Play it in the app