Whereas the enharmonic equivalent B Natural Minor scale only has two sharps – yet contains the same note pitches in the same order with the same intervals and sounds the same. Interestingly the key of C Flat Major is the only case where the enharmonic equivalent of a Flat key is a Natural key.Īlso interesting to note is that the C-Flat Natural Minor Scale contains three double flats in addition to four regular flats (quite cumbersome to notate in a key signature to say the least).

The foregoing also applies to the key of C Flat Major as well - which is the enharmonic equivalent of B Major – only in C Flat Major there are seven flats in the key signature compared to five sharps in the key of B Major. However, in a case where a musical composition were to modulate (change keys) from another key containing sharps in the key signature, it might be more appropriate to use C Sharp instead of D Flat. Therefore – given that a particular melody or arrangement of note pitches can be written either as D Flat Major or C Sharp Major and will be played on the same keys or frets either way (and sound the same), most composers will choose D Flat because instead of seven incidentals (7 sharps) to deal with in the key signature for C Sharp Major, there are only five incidentals (5 flats) in the key of D Flat Major. So it may be helpful to understand that on any keyboard instrument (such as piano) or fretted instrument (such as guitar), the notes played in the D-Flat Major Scale will be exactly the same as the notes in the C-Sharp Major scale. But the exact same black key can also be identified as a D flat – and will be referred to as such in pretty much any key with flats in the key signature (with occasional exceptions).

The black key to the right of any C key on a piano keyboard is in fact a 'C-sharp' and will be most likely be referred to as such when playing a piece in any key that contains a C sharp in the scale or in any key with sharps in the key signature for that matter. What that means is that all of the notes in the C sharp major scale sound pretty much exactly the same (to the human ear) as all the notes in the D Flat major scale – only they are notated (written) differently. But the key of C Sharp Major is the “enharmonic equivalent” of the key of D Flat Major. Yes indeed there is a key of C Sharp Major (C# Major).

F flat major scale piano