Every key signature belongs to two keys at once: one major and one minor. The minor key that shares a major key's signature is its relative minor, which is why minor keys don't need a separate set of signatures. This guide lists all fifteen minor key signatures, the relative major each one shares, and how to tell the two apart on the page.
This is part 4 of our key signatures series. Part 1 covers the basics and the full chart, part 2 covers sharp major keys, and part 3 covers flat major keys.
How minor keys share major key signatures
Each major scale has a relative minor that uses the exact same notes, and therefore the exact same key signature. C major and A minor, for example, both have no sharps or flats. The difference is which note feels like home: the music centers on C in C major and on A in A minor.
To find the relative minor of any major key, start on the 6th degree of the major scale, or count down a minor third (three half-steps) from the tonic. The 6th degree of C major is A, so the relative minor is A minor. Going the other way, the relative major starts on the 3rd degree of the minor scale.
For how each key tends to feel, see our guide to music keys and their emotions.
The 15 minor key signatures
Here is every minor key, the signature it uses, and the major key it shares that signature with.
| Minor key | Key signature | Relative major |
|---|---|---|
| A minor | No sharps or flats | C major |
| E minor | 1 sharp (F♯) | G major |
| B minor | 2 sharps | D major |
| F♯ minor | 3 sharps | A major |
| C♯ minor | 4 sharps | E major |
| G♯ minor | 5 sharps | B major |
| D♯ minor | 6 sharps | F♯ major |
| A♯ minor | 7 sharps | C♯ major |
| D minor | 1 flat (B♭) | F major |
| G minor | 2 flats | B♭ major |
| C minor | 3 flats | E♭ major |
| F minor | 4 flats | A♭ major |
| B♭ minor | 5 flats | D♭ major |
| E♭ minor | 6 flats | G♭ major |
| A♭ minor | 7 flats | C♭ major |
Natural, harmonic, and melodic minor
A key signature always reflects the natural minor scale. The harmonic minor raises the 7th degree, and the melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th ascending, but those alterations are written as accidentals in the music rather than added to the key signature. So all three forms of A minor share the same empty key signature.
Telling major and minor apart
Because a major key and its relative minor share a signature, the signature alone can't tell you which one you're in. Glance at the first and last measures, since most pieces begin and end on the tonic chord of their key. A piece that resolves to C major is in C major; one that resolves to A minor is in A minor.
Practice minor key signatures in Flat
Open a new score in Flat, set a minor key from the toolbar, and write its natural minor scale, then play it back. Write its relative major in the same signature right after, and you'll hear how the same notes produce two different tonal centers.
💡 How to add or change a key signature in Flat.
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
FAQ
How are minor key signatures related to major key signatures?
Every key signature is shared by one major key and its relative minor, so minor keys use the same signatures as major keys. A minor, for example, has no sharps or flats, the same as C major.
How do you find the relative minor of a major key?
Start on the 6th degree of the major scale, or count down a minor third (three half-steps) from the tonic. C major's relative minor is A minor; F major's is D minor.
Does a key signature show natural, harmonic, or melodic minor?
It shows the natural minor. The raised 7th of the harmonic minor and the raised 6th and 7th of the ascending melodic minor are written as accidentals in the music, not added to the key signature.
If two keys share a signature, how do you tell major from minor?
Look at which chord the music settles on. A piece that begins and ends on the major tonic is in the major key; one centered on the sixth degree is in the relative minor.
Which minor key has no sharps or flats?
A minor. It is the relative minor of C major, and both share an empty key signature with no sharps or flats.