Scale reference
F♯ minor scale
F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D – E
The F♯ minor scale runs F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D, E and then back to F♯. It follows the natural minor step pattern — tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone — which is what makes it minor rather than any other kind of scale.
It uses each letter name once, which is why it is written with 3 sharps.
The notes
The step pattern
Every minor scale uses the same sequence of steps. Change the starting note and the pattern is what you keep.
- F♯1tone
- G♯2semi
- A3tone
- B4tone
- C♯5semi
- D6tone
- E7tone
- F♯8
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Name | Interval from F♯ | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♯ | Tonic | Perfect unison | 0 |
| 2 | G♯ | Supertonic | Major second | 2 |
| 3 | A | Mediant | Minor third | 3 |
| 4 | B | Subdominant | Perfect fourth | 5 |
| 5 | C♯ | Dominant | Perfect fifth | 7 |
| 6 | D | Submediant | Minor sixth | 8 |
| 7 | E | Subtonic | Minor seventh | 10 |
The other two minor forms
Minor comes in three forms. They share the first five notes and differ near the top.
| Form | Notes | Why it exists |
|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D – E | The plain form, matching the key signature. |
| Harmonic minor | F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D – E♯ | Raises the seventh degree, restoring the leading tone. |
| Melodic minor (ascending) | F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ | Raises the sixth as well, smoothing the step-and-a-half gap. |
A piece in F♯ minor will move between all three depending on what the harmony needs at that moment. See minor scales for how they are chosen.
Key signature
F♯ minor is the scale of the key of F♯ minor, which has 3 sharps. The key page lists the seven chords built on these notes.