C-sharp minor

C♯ minor

Relative key	E major
Parallel key	C♯ major
Component pitches
C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯

C♯ minor or C-sharp minor is a minor scale based on C♯, with the pitches C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, and B. Its key signature consists of four sharps (see below: Scales and keys).

Its relative major is E major, and its parallel major is C-sharp major.

Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary.

Classical music in this key

There are only two known symphonies in the 18th Century written in this key. One of them is by Joseph Martin Kraus, but he appears to have found the key difficult since he later rewrote it in C minor. Even in the following two centuries C-sharp minor symphonies remained rare. Two notable examples are Mahler's Symphony No. 5 (though only the first movement is in C-sharp minor, and the finale is actually in D major^[1]) and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 7. Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 2 is also in C-sharp minor.

This key occurs more often in piano literature, however, from the 18th Century onwards. Domenico Scarlatti wrote just two keyboard sonatas in C-sharp minor, K. 246 and K. 247. But after Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, the key became more frequent in the piano repertoire. Beethoven himself used this key again in the outer movements of his String Quartet No. 14 (Op. 131, 1826). Even so, Johannes Brahms still felt the need to rewrite his C-sharp minor Piano Quartet in C minor, which was published as Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Opus 60. One of the most famous pieces in this key is Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu. Other works include Chopin's Nocturnes No. 20, Op. Posth., No. 1, Op. 27 and Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2. Also written in this key is the middle section of Chopin's "Raindrop" Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 28, No. 15.

References

1. ^ Constantin Floros, translated by Vernon Wicker: Gustav Mahler: The Symphonies (Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1985) p. 141 "the choice of key of the movements (C-sharp minor—A minor—D major—F major—D major);"

v • d • e Diatonic Scales and Keys
	Flats Sharps Major minor Major minor 0 C, a 1 F d G e 2 B♭ g D b 3 E♭ c A f♯ 4 A♭ f E c♯ 5 D♭ b♭ B g♯ 6 G♭ e♭ F♯ d♯ 7 C♭ a♭ C♯ a♯ 8 F♭ d♭ G♯ e♯
The table indicates the number of sharps or flats in each scale. Minor scales are written in lower case.