F♯ major scale on piano

F♯ major runs F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯. Major follows whole–whole–half–whole–whole–whole–half steps. The key signature is 6 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯). F♯, G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯ are black keys; the other 2 scale notes are played on white keys. The last F♯ is the first note again, one octave higher.

F♯ major notes and fingering

Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger). These are the one-octave ascending fingerings for the major form, one hand at a time:

Fingering source: LearnMusicTheory.net, “Major and Natural Minor Scales for Piano,” §2.7.

Play slowly until every note has the same length. At a 1 in the middle of the right-hand row, pass the thumb underneath. At a 3 or 4 after left-hand 1, cross that finger over. Descend by reversing the same finger numbers. Keep your hand loose where it crosses.

Key signature and relative key

F♯ major has 6 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯). Its relative minor is D♯ minor (the E♭ minor page uses the same piano keys under its enharmonic name). The relative minor starts on D♯, three half steps below F♯. These enharmonic spellings use the same piano keys but have different written key signatures.

Hear the two half steps

The smallest moves in F♯ major are A♯ to B and E♯ to the upper F♯. Each pair is one neighboring piano key apart. All the other moves between adjacent scale degrees are whole steps, two neighboring keys apart. Play just those half-step pairs, then play the full scale slowly to hear where they fall.

Next, stop on C♯, degree 5, before finishing at the upper F♯. Compare that pause with stopping on degree 3, A♯. The fifth feels open because the melody has not returned to its starting note; the last note gives the phrase a clear landing. Try the I and V chords below after you hear that motion in the single-note scale.

The seven chords in F♯ major

Stack every other scale note to make three-note chords. The Roman numeral tells you which degree supplies the root; upper-case numerals are major, lower-case are minor, and ° means diminished.

The last chord, vii°, is diminished because its outer notes are six half steps apart.

Progressions to try

• I – IV – V – I: F♯ – B – C♯ – F♯. Play each chord for four beats.
• I – V – vi – IV: F♯ – C♯ – D♯m – B. This loop gives the same scale notes a different sense of arrival.

Play the scale up and down, then try each progression without leaving the key. Start one hand at a time, and use the highlighted keyboard above to check any note. The scale finder and piano chord finder let you compare other keys.