Twelve keys, from complete purity to the grave.
Overview
The twelve major keys, one note apiece. Each carries Christian Schubart's 1806 characterization (in Rita Steblin's translation), its key signature, and its relative minor — the affective map explained in Musical Keys. Schubart's majors are not uniformly bright: they run from the innocence of C to the wild passions of B, with the grave itself waiting in A♭.
| Key | Signature | Relative Minor |
|---|---|---|
| C Major | no sharps or flats | A Minor |
| D♭ Major | 5 flats | B♭ Minor |
| D Major | 2 sharps | B Minor |
| E♭ Major | 3 flats | C Minor |
| E Major | 4 sharps | C♯ Minor |
| F Major | 1 flat | D Minor |
| F♯ Major | 6 sharps | D♯ Minor |
| G Major | 1 sharp | E Minor |
| A♭ Major | 4 flats | F Minor |
| A Major | 3 sharps | F♯ Minor |
| B♭ Major | 2 flats | G Minor |
| B Major | 5 sharps | A♭ Minor |
Related
- Musical Keys — the parent index and the story of affective key characteristics
- Minor — the twelve minor keys