The key signature of B major has five sharps. Its enharmonic equivalent is C flat major.
Its relative minor is G sharp minor. Its tonic minor is B minor. The scale of B major
consists of the notes B, C sharp, D sharp. E, F sharp. G sharp, A sharp and B.
Beginners are usually started off with scales, arpeggios and pieces in C major. Chopin
regarded C major as the most difficult scale to play with complete evenness and he
tended to give it last to his pupils. He recognised B major as the easiest scale to play on
the piano because the position of the black and white notes best fitted the natural position
of the fingers and so he often had his pupils start with this scale.
The key signature for B major is the least sharp key signature with three ‘lines’ of sharps.
In the treble clef putting the sharp for A on its expected position relative to the sharp for
G would require a ledger line. In the bass clef it would be possible to do this but in piano
music this would result in a disuniformity that might throw off sight reading.
Accordingly, the B major key signature is practically the same in the bass clef as it is in
the treble clef. In the alto clef, which occurs in string quartets and orchestral music, the B
major key signature is usually written in just two ‘lines’ of sharps.
In the German language B is called ‘H’, and B flat is called ‘B’.
Chopin’s étude opus 25 no. 3 in F major modulates to, and returns from, the ‘remote’ key
of B major.
The only symphony by a well known composer in the key of B major is Haydn’s
symphony no. 46. Other pieces are: Slavonic Dance no. 9 by Dvo%ák, the Finale of
‘Firebird’ by Stravinsky, the Finale of ‘Swan Lake’ by Tchaikovsky and ‘La Donna è
mobile’ from ‘Rigoletto’ by Verdi.
Some piano pieces in B major:
Beethoven: Piano Concerto no. 5 in E flat major opus 73 ‘Emperor’ - slow movement,
Adagio un poco mosso
Brahms: Piano trio no. 1 opus 8
Chopin: Scherzo no. 1 in B minor opus 20 – the middle section
Mazurkas opus 41 no. 3, opus 56 no. 1 and opus 63 no 1
Nocturnes opus 9 no. 3, opus 32 no. 1 and opus 62 no. 2
C flat major
The key signature of C flat major has seven flats. Its enharmonic equivalent is B major
with five sharps. Its relative minor is A flat minor. Its tonic minor is C flat minor which
is usually replaced by B minor (because C flat minor, which would have ten flats, is not