Keys to Four Sharps & Flats, and the Three Minor Scales
Extending key signatures to four sharps and four flats, and completing the minor scale story with the melodic form.
Explainer
Continuing the sharp and flat order from Grade 2: E major has four sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯). A♭ major has four flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).
Every major key still has a relative minor sharing its signature — E major's is C♯ minor; A♭ major's is F minor.
You already know the natural and harmonic minor forms. The melodic minor adds one more twist: ascending, both the 6th AND 7th degrees are raised; descending, it drops straight back to the plain natural minor.
A minor, melodic ascending: A B C D E F♯ G♯ A. Melodic descending: A G F E D C B A — the natural minor, played backwards.
Worked examples
E major — four sharps
F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯.
A♭ major — four flats
B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭.
A melodic minor, ascending
A B C D E F♯ G♯ A — both the 6th and 7th degrees raised on the way up.
A melodic minor, descending
A G F E D C B A — identical to the natural minor, simply played in reverse.
This chapter doesn't have its own one-page sheet yet, but its content is already covered by two Printables documents: The Major Scales and The Minor Scales.
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