Each key has a fixed number of sharps or flats: C major has none, G major has one sharp, D major has two, A major has three, E major has four, B major has five, F# major has six and C# major has seven, while F major has one flat and the flat keys add one flat at a time to seven.
How many sharps and flats are in each key?
Every key has a fixed number of sharps or flats, and the numbers follow the circle of fifths: each step clockwise from C major adds one sharp, and each step anticlockwise adds one flat. C major has no sharps and no flats. G major has one sharp, F#. D major has two sharps, F# and C#. A major has three sharps, F#, C# and G#. E major has four, B major has five, F# major has six, and C# major has seven sharps, which is every note sharpened. On the flat side, F major has one flat, Bb, Bb major has two, Eb major has three, Ab major has four, Db major has five, Gb major has six, and Cb major has seven flats. The minor keys follow the same pattern, because each minor key shares the key signature of its relative major. A minor has no sharps or flats, like C major. E minor has one sharp, like G major. B minor has two sharps, like D major. D minor has one flat, like F major. G minor has two flats, like Bb major. The pattern is the same for every key, which is why learning the circle of fifths teaches you the sharps and flats of all twenty-four keys at once, instead of twenty-four separate facts.
How the sharps and flats accumulate
The sharps accumulate in a fixed order, F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#, because each new sharp is the 7th degree of the new key. When you move from C major to G major, the new sharp is F#, the 7th degree of G major. When you move from G major to D major, the new sharp is C#, the 7th degree of D major. When you move from D major to A major, the new sharp is G#, the 7th degree of A major. The pattern continues all the way around the circle, and the order of sharps is itself the circle of fifths, which is why it is so easy to remember once you know the circle. The flats accumulate in the reverse order, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb, because each new flat is the 4th degree of the new key. When you move from C major to F major, the new flat is Bb, the 4th degree of F major. When you move from F major to Bb major, the new flat is Eb, the 4th degree of Bb major. The pattern continues around the flat side of the circle, and the order of flats is the circle of fourths, which is the circle of fifths read backwards. The key of D major has two sharps, the key of Eb major has three flats, and the circle of fifths shows the full pattern.
Worked example — the sharps in B major. B major is five steps clockwise from C major, so it has five sharps, and they are the first five in the order of sharps: F#, C#, G#, D# and A#. Check it against the B major scale, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, which contains exactly those five sharps. The relative minor of B major is G# minor, which also has five sharps. Now work out the flats in Ab major: Ab major is four steps anticlockwise from C major, so it has four flats, and they are the first four in the order of flats: Bb, Eb, Ab and Db. The B major scale and the G# minor scale show the sharp key, and the key of B major shows its chords.
How to practise sharps and flats
Practise by reciting the order of sharps and flats until it is automatic, and then by working out the key signature of any key from the circle.
- Recite the order of sharps, F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#, five times, until you can say it without hesitating.
- Recite the order of flats, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb, five times, until you can say it without hesitating.
- Pick a random major key and work out its sharps or flats from the circle, before you check your answer against the scale finder.
- Write out the key signatures of the key of A major and the key of Eb major and check that they have three sharps and three flats.
- Use the circle of fifths tool to check the key signature of any key, and repeat the exercise until you can work out any signature in seconds.
Common mistakes
- Counting sharps from the wrong end — The sharps always appear in the order F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#, and the flats always appear in the order Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb. If you count them in a different order, you will name the wrong notes.
- Forgetting that the relative minor shares the signature — A minor key has the same sharps or flats as its relative major, so E minor has one sharp, like G major, and B minor has two sharps, like D major. If your minor key has a different signature, it is not the relative minor.
- Thinking Cb major and B major are different keys — Cb major has seven flats and B major has five sharps, but they sound identical, because Cb is enharmonically B. They are the same key spelled two different ways, and the circle meets itself at the bottom.
Quick reference
This table lists every major key with its sharps, its flats and its relative minor, so you can look up any key in seconds. The sharp keys run from C major at the top to C# major at the bottom, and the flat keys run from F major to Cb major, and the two halves of the table meet where F# major and Gb major describe the same sounding key.
| Major key | Sharps | Flats | Relative minor |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | 0 | 0 | A minor |
| G major | 1: F# | 0 | E minor |
| D major | 2: F#, C# | 0 | B minor |
| A major | 3: F#, C#, G# | 0 | F# minor |
| E major | 4: F#, C#, G#, D# | 0 | C# minor |
| B major | 5: F#, C#, G#, D#, A# | 0 | G# minor |
| F# major | 6: F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E# | 0 | D# minor |
| C# major | 7: F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B# | 0 | A# minor |
| F major | 0 | 1: Bb | D minor |
| Bb major | 0 | 2: Bb, Eb | G minor |
| Eb major | 0 | 3: Bb, Eb, Ab | C minor |
| Ab major | 0 | 4: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db | F minor |
Use the table as a reference while you practise, and test yourself by covering one column and working it out from the others: cover the sharps column and work out the sharps from the key, or cover the relative minor column and work it out from the major root. When you can fill in any column without looking, you know the sharps and flats of every key.
Frequently asked questions
How many sharps are in D major?
Two: F# and C#. D major is two steps clockwise from C major on the circle of fifths, so it has two sharps, and they are the first two in the order of sharps.
How many flats are in Eb major?
Three: Bb, Eb and Ab. Eb major is three steps anticlockwise from C major on the circle of fifths, so it has three flats, and they are the first three in the order of flats.
What is the order of sharps?
F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#, which is the order of the circle of fifths. The order of flats is the reverse: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb.
Do minor keys have sharps and flats?
Yes, the same sharps and flats as their relative major. A minor has no sharps or flats, E minor has one sharp, B minor has two sharps, D minor has one flat, and G minor has two flats.
Which key has the most sharps?
C# major, with seven sharps, which is every note sharpened. Cb major has seven flats, which is every note flattened, and the two keys sound identical, because C# and Cb are enharmonic equivalents.