B Major Key Signature

B major has 5 sharps — F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯. Here's the signature on the staff, the full scale, its relative minor, and the trick to recognize it instantly.

key signature with 5 sharps
Accidentals
5 sharps — F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯
Major scale
B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯
Relative minor
G♯ minor
Tonic
B

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Reading the B Major signature

The fastest way to spot a sharp key is the last sharp: it always sits a semitone below the tonic. B major's final sharp is A♯, and a semitone above that is B — the key. Count 5 sharps and you have B major every time.

The B Major scale

The B major scale runs B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯. Every sharpened note in the piece takes the key's accidentals automatically, which is exactly what the signature saves you from writing note by note.

B Major and its relative minor

B major shares its signature — 5 sharps — with its relative minor, G♯ minor, a minor third below the tonic. They use the same seven pitches; what tells them apart is which note the music settles on and treats as home.

Neighboring keys on the circle of fifths

B Major — frequently asked

How many sharps or flats does B major have?

B major has 5 sharps — F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯.

What is the relative minor of B major?

The relative minor of B major is G♯ minor — it shares the identical key signature (5 sharps).

What notes are in the B major scale?

The B major scale is B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯.

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