A quick guide to chords in the key of F#/Gb major.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major | Minor | Minor | Major | Major | Minor | Dim |
| I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | viiº |
| F# | G#m | A#m | B | C# | D#m | E#º |
| Gb | Abm | Bbm | Cb | Db | Ebm | Fº |
The notes of a F# major scale are:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th |
| F# | G# | A# | B | C# | D# | E# |
Written as Gb, they would be:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th |
| Gb | Ab | Bb | Cb | Db | Eb | F |
These two scales sound exactly the same, and so are ‘enharmonically equivalent’. The only difference is how they are written. They each feature an unusual note name (E# and Cb, respectively). We will stick with the F# version going forward.
Major Scale Formula
The scale notes above follow the 'major' scale formula of 'steps':
WHOLE – WHOLE – HALF – WHOLE – WHOLE – WHOLE – HALF
Or 'tones':
TONE – TONE – SEMITONE – TONE – TONE – TONE – SEMITONE
Or even frets:
Two Frets – Two Frets – One Fret – Two Frets – Two Frets – Two Frets – One Fret
Which gives us the following interval relationships from the tonic (1st note):
- Unison
- Major 2nd
- Major 3rd
- Perfect 4th
- Perfect 5th
- Major 6th
- Major 7th
- Octave
The notes of each chord in F# major
All the chords in the key of F# major are made up of notes from the F# major scale.
| Chord Name | 1st | 3rd | 5th |
| F# major | F# | A# | C# |
| G# minor | G# | B | D# |
| A# minor | A# | C# | E# |
| B major | B | D# | F# |
| C# major | C# | E# | G# |
| D# minor | D# | F# | A# |
| E# diminished | E# | G# | B |
The relative minor scale of F#/Gb major is D#/Eb minor, which comes from the 6th note of the major scale.
