A-sharp minor

A♯ minor
Relative key	C♯ major; enharmonic: D♭ major
Parallel key	A♯ major; enharmonic: B♭ major
Dominant key	E♯ minor; enharmonic: F minor
Subdominant	D♯ minor; enharmonic: E♭ minor
Enharmonic	B♭ minor
Component pitches
	A♯, B♯, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯

A♯ minor is a minor scale based on A♯, consisting of the pitches A♯, B♯, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, and G♯. Its key signature has seven sharps, while the direct enharmonic equivalent, B♭ minor, has five flats.

Its relative major is C♯ major (or enharmonically D♭ major), and its parallel major is A♯ major, usually replaced by B♭ major, since A♯ major's three double-sharps make it impractical to use.

The A♯ natural minor scale is:

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c'' { \clef treble \key ais \minor \time 7/4 ais4^\markup "Natural minor scale" bis cis dis eis fis gis ais gis fis eis dis cis bis ais2 } }$

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

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c'' { \clef treble \key ais \minor \time 7/4 ais4^\markup "Harmonic minor scale" bis cis dis eis fis gisis ais gisis fis eis dis cis bis ais2 } }$

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c'' { \clef treble \key ais \minor \time 7/4 ais4^\markup "Melodic minor scale (ascending and descending)" bis cis dis eis fisis gisis ais gis! fis! eis dis cis bis ais2 } }$

Exceptions include Chopin's Polonaise-Fantaisie in A♭ major, Op. 61, which has a brief passage of about 6 bars (at m. 160, twelve bars after the start of the B major section) actually notated in A♯ major, inserting the necessary double-sharps as accidentals. The overall harmonic context is an extended theme in B major, which briefly modulates to A♯ major.

A♯ minor is one of the least used minor keys in music as it is not a practical key for composition. The enharmonic equivalent B♭ minor, which would only contain five flats as opposed to A♯ minor's seven sharps, is normally used. There is, however, in Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C♯ major, a brief section near the beginning of the piece which modulates to A♯ minor.

External links

Overview of Compositions with 7 Accidentals

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Component pitches

Relative key	C♯ major enharmonic: D♭ major
Parallel key	A♯ major enharmonic: B♭ major
Dominant key	E♯ minor enharmonic: F minor
Subdominant	D♯ minor enharmonic: E♭ minor
Enharmonic	B♭ minor
A♯, B♯, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯