F minor

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Minor key and scale based on F

title: "F minor" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["musical-keys", "minor-scales", "compositions-in-f-minor"] description: "Minor key and scale based on F" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F_minor" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Minor key and scale based on F ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical scale"]

FieldValue
nameF minor
{ \magnifyStaff #3/2 \omit Score.TimeSignature \key f \minor s16 \clef F \key f \minor s^"" }
relativeA-flat major
parallelF major
dominantC minor
subdominantB-flat minor
first_pitchF
second_pitchG
third_pitchA
fourth_pitchB
fifth_pitchC
sixth_pitchD
seventh_pitchE
::

| name=F minor { \magnifyStaff #3/2 \omit Score.TimeSignature \key f \minor s16 \clef F \key f \minor s^"" } | relative=A-flat major | parallel=F major | dominant=C minor | subdominant=B-flat minor | first_pitch=F | second_pitch=G | third_pitch=A | fourth_pitch=B | fifth_pitch=C | sixth_pitch=D | seventh_pitch=E F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. The F natural minor scale is

\header { tagline = ##f } scale = \relative f' { \key f \minor \omit Score.TimeSignature f^"F natural minor scale" g as bes c des es f es des c bes as g f2 \clef F \key f \minor } \score { { } \layout { } \midi { } }

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

\header { tagline = ##f } scale = \relative f' { \key f \minor \omit Score.TimeSignature f^"F harmonic minor scale" g as bes c des e f e! des c bes as g f2 } \score { { } \layout { } \midi { } } \header { tagline = ##f } scale = \relative f' { \key f \minor \omit Score.TimeSignature f^"F melodic minor scale" g as bes c d e f es? des? c bes as g f2 } \score { { } \layout { } \midi { } }

Scale degree chords

The scale degree chords of F minor are:

Music in F minor

Famous pieces in the key of F minor include Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata, Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2, Ballade No. 4, Haydn's Symphony No. 49, La Passione and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.

Glenn Gould once said if he could be any key, he would be F minor, because "it's rather dour, halfway between complex and stable, between upright and lascivious, between gray and highly tinted... There is a certain obliqueness."

Hermann von Helmholtz once described F minor as harrowing and melancholy. Christian Schubart described this key as "Deep depression, funereal lament, groans of misery and longing for the grave".

Notable compositions

E-sharp minor

| name=E-sharp minor { \magnifyStaff #3/2 \omit Score.TimeSignature \key eis \minor s16 \clef F \key eis \minor s^"" } Alternative notation{ \magnifyStaff #3/2 \omit Score.TimeSignature \set Staff.keyAlterations = #`((3 . ,SHARP)(0 . ,SHARP)(4 . ,SHARP)(1 . ,SHARP)(-2 . ,SHARP)(2 . ,SHARP)(-1 . ,SHARP)(3 . ,DOUBLE-SHARP)) s^"" } | relative=G-sharp major →enharmonic: A-flat major | parallel=E-sharp major →enharmonic: F major | dominant=B-sharp minor →enharmonic: C minor | subdominant=A-sharp minor | enharmonic=F minor | first_pitch=E♯ | second_pitch=F | third_pitch=G♯ | fourth_pitch=A♯ | fifth_pitch=B♯ | sixth_pitch=C♯ | seventh_pitch=D♯

E-sharp minor is a key based on the musical note E, consisting of the pitches E♯, F, G♯, A♯, B♯, C♯ and D♯. Its key signature has eight sharps, requiring one double sharp and six single sharps. Because E-sharp minor requires eight sharps, including the F, it is almost always notated as its enharmonic equivalent of F minor, with four flats.

The E-sharp natural minor scale is:

\header { tagline = ##f } scale = \relative f' { \key eis \minor \omit Score.TimeSignature eis^"E♯ natural minor scale" fisis gis ais bis cis dis eis dis cis bis ais gis fisis eis2 \clef F \key eis \minor } \score { { } \layout { } \midi { } }

Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. The E-sharp harmonic minor and melodic minor scales are:

\header { tagline = ##f } scale = \relative f' { \key eis \minor \omit Score.TimeSignature eis^"E♯ harmonic minor scale" fisis gis ais bis cis disis eis disis! cis bis ais gis fisis eis2 } \score { { } \layout { } \midi { } } \header { tagline = ##f } scale = \relative f' { \accidentalStyle modern \key eis \minor \omit Score.TimeSignature eis^"E♯ melodic minor scale" fisis gis ais bis cisis disis eis dis? cis? bis ais gis fisis eis2 } \score { { } \layout { } \midi { } }

The scale-degree chords of E-sharp minor are:

In tuning systems where the number of notes per octave is not a multiple of 12, notes such as E and F are not enharmonically equivalent, nor are the corresponding key signatures. These tunings can produce keys with no analogue in 12-tone equal temperament, which can require double sharps, double flats, or microtonal alterations in key signatures. For example, the key of E-sharp minor, with eight sharps, is equivalent to F minor in 12-tone equal temperament, but in 19-tone equal temperament, it is equivalent to F-flat minor instead, with 11 flats.

Notes

References

  1. Cathering Meng, ''Tonight's the Night'' (Apostrophe Books, 2007): 21
  2. "Affective Musical Key Characteristics". [[Western Michigan University]].

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