You should already know all the keys and scales with up to six sharps or flats. In this lesson we will look at the keys with seven sharps or flats.
Major Keys
C# Major
In the C# major scale, every degree of the scale is a sharp note. The easiest way to think about this scale is in relation to C major. It is the same as the C major scale, except that every note has a sharp, so the scale sounds a semitone higher than C major. When you are working out intervals or chords, think in C major first, then just add the sharps.
The semitone steps fall between E#-F# and B#-C#.
Here are the ascending and descending C# major scales in treble and bass clefs.
The key signature for C# major has seven sharps.
It is very rare to find pieces of music written in C# major, but one example is this Prelude, from Bach’s Well-Tempered Klavier Book 1.
C Flat Major
In the Cb major scale, every degree of the scale is a flat note. It’s like the C major scale, except that every note has a flat, so the scale sounds a semitone lower than C major. When you are working out intervals or chords, think in C major first, then just add the flats. The semitone steps fall between Eb-Fb and Bb-Cb.
Here are the ascending and descending Cb major scales in treble and bass clefs.
The key signature for Cb major has seven flats.
It is very rare to find pieces of music written in Cb major; it is a key most often found during modulations (key changes). In this example, from Schubert’s Impromptu no.3 in Gb major, Schubert visits Cb major (the subdominant key) in bar 11. The note Fb signals the modulation (this is a note which does not exist in Gb major, the home key). It is used in a chord of Fb major (chord IV in Cb major), moving to Ib, V7c and then chord I.
