Sharp key signatures cover seven of the twelve major keys: G, D, A, E, B, F♯, and C♯ major. Each one adds one more sharp to the staff in a fixed order, and learning that order is the key to recognizing any sharp key signature at a glance.
This guide lists every major key signature that uses sharps, shows what each one looks like on the staff, and explains the simple trick to identify any sharp key from the last sharp in its signature. This is part 2 of our key signatures series; part 1 covers the basics, and part 3 covers flat keys.
Major key signatures with sharps
The seven major keys that use sharps are G, D, A, E, B, F♯, and C♯ major. Each adds one sharp to the previous key, following a fixed sequence: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯. Below is every sharp key signature, in order.
G major key signature (1 sharp)
G major has one sharp: F♯. The key signature appears at the start of each line of music, telling you to play F as F♯ throughout the piece.
D major key signature (2 sharps)
D major has two sharps: F♯ and C♯.
A major key signature (3 sharps)
A major has three sharps: F♯, C♯, and G♯. It's one of the most common keys in classical, jazz, and pop music, used in pieces from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto to countless guitar songs.
E major key signature (4 sharps)
E major has four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, and D♯. It's a favorite key for guitar because the open strings align well with the scale.
B major key signature (5 sharps)
B major has five sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, and A♯.
F♯ major key signature (6 sharps)
F♯ major has six sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, and E♯. Yes, E♯ is technically the same pitch as F natural, but in this key it's written as E♯ to keep one note of each letter name in the scale.
C♯ major key signature (7 sharps)
C♯ major has all seven sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, and B♯. It's the most extreme sharp key and is often written enharmonically as D♭ major instead for easier reading.
How to memorize sharp key signatures
The sharps always appear in the same order on the staff, no matter the key: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯. A common mnemonic is "Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle."
To identify a major key from its signature: look at the last sharp on the right, then go up one half-step (one semitone). That gives you the key. If the last sharp is F♯, the key is G major. If the last sharp is C♯, the key is D major. If the last sharp is G♯, the key is A major. And so on.
Practice sharp key signatures
The fastest way to internalize key signatures is to drill them. You can write your own scales in Flat and hear them played back, or practice identifying signatures with a quiz tool like musictheory.net's key signature game.
Key signatures series
- Part 1: Introduction to key signatures
- Part 2: Major key signatures with sharps
- Part 3: Major key signatures with flats
- Part 4: Minor key signatures