A-sharp minor
A-sharp 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-flat minor, has five flats.
 | |
| Relative key | C-sharp major enharmonic: D-flat major |
|---|---|
| Parallel key | A-sharp major enharmonic: B-flat major |
| Dominant key | E-sharp minor enharmonic: F minor |
| Subdominant | D-sharp minor enharmonic: E-flat minor |
| Enharmonic | B-flat minor |
| Component pitches | |
| A♯, B♯, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯ | |
Its relative major is C-sharp major (or enharmonically D-flat major), and its parallel major is A-sharp major, usually replaced by B-flat major, since A-sharp major's three double-sharps make it impractical to use.
The A-sharp natural minor scale is:
Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. The A-sharp harmonic minor and melodic minor scales are:
In Rinck's 30 Preludes and Exercises in all major and minor keys, the 16th Prelude and Exercise is in A-sharp minor. In Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp major, a brief section near the beginning of the piece modulates to A-sharp minor. A-sharp minor is one of the least used minor keys in music as it is not a practical key for composition. The enharmonic equivalent B-flat minor, which only contains five flats as opposed to A-sharp minor's seven sharps, is preferable to use.