Key guide
B major: scale, key signature and chords
B major has five sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯). Its scale is B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯ — play the scale and every chord below.
- Key signature
- F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ — five sharps
- Scale notes
- B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯
- Relative minor
- G♯ minor
- Parallel minor
- B minor
- Dominant key
- F♯ major
- Subdominant key
- E major
- On the piano
- 5 black keys and 2 white in the scale
The B major scale
The B major scale uses the notes B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, the major-scale pattern of whole and half steps (W–W–H–W–W–W–H) starting on B. Each letter name appears once, which is why the accidentals are written as F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ rather than as their enharmonic equivalents.
| Degree | Note | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | tonic |
| 2 | C♯ | supertonic |
| 3 | D♯ | mediant |
| 4 | E | subdominant |
| 5 | F♯ | dominant |
| 6 | G♯ | submediant |
| 7 | A♯ | leading tone |
C♭ major (seven flats) sounds identical but is rarely written; B major, with five sharps, is far easier to read.
Chords in B major
Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives seven diatonic triads and seven seventh chords. The Roman numeral gives each chord’s position; the role column says what it usually does in a phrase.
| Chord | Triad | Seventh | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | B D♯ F♯ | B D♯ F♯ A♯ | tonic |
| ii | C♯ E G♯ | C♯ E G♯ B | predominant |
| iii | D♯ F♯ A♯ | D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯ | tonic substitute |
| IV | E G♯ B | E G♯ B D♯ | predominant |
| V | F♯ A♯ C♯ | F♯ A♯ C♯ E | dominant |
| vi | G♯ B D♯ | G♯ B D♯ F♯ | tonic substitute |
| vii° | A♯ C♯ E | A♯ C♯ E G♯ | dominant |
Chord progressions in B major
Four progressions worked out in B major, each one playable:
- I – V – vi – IV B – F♯ – G♯m – EThe four-chord loop under a large share of pop songs.
- ii – V – I C♯m – F♯ – BThe standard jazz cadence: predominant, dominant, tonic.
- I – IV – V – I B – E – F♯ – BThe plain three-chord cadence at the root of tonal harmony.
- I – vi – IV – V B – G♯m – E – F♯The 1950s progression: tonic, relative minor, subdominant, dominant.
Keys related to B major
- Relative minor: G♯ minor — same key signature, different home note.
- Dominant: F♯ major — one step clockwise on the circle of fifths; the key most pieces in B major modulate to.
- Subdominant: E major — one step counter-clockwise, adding one flat (or removing one sharp).
- Parallel minor: B minor — same tonic, opposite mode.
Questions
What are the notes in B major?
The B major scale is B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯.
How many sharps or flats are in B major?
B major has five sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯.
What is the relative minor of B major?
The relative minor of B major is G♯ minor. The two keys share a key signature and the same seven notes, but G♯ is the home note of the minor key.
What chords are in B major?
The seven diatonic triads in B major are B, C♯m, D♯m, E, F♯, G♯m, A♯°.