A-flat major
A-flat major is a key of the major tonal family, built on the root A-flat. The key of A flat major is written in musical notation with four ♭ (b, es, as, des). The corresponding scale and the fundamental chord of this key (the tonic as-c-es) are also designated by the term A-flat major.
A-flat major is often described as warm and mellow, even "transfigured", but see the article on key signature.
Many works (especially piano music) of the Romantic period are in A flat major.
Key classification
| Keys and their accidentals | |||||||||||||||
| Portent: | 7 ♭ | 6 ♭ | 5 ♭ | 4 ♭ | 3 ♭ | 2 ♭ | 1 ♭ | 0 ♭/♯ | 1 ♯ | 2 ♯ | 3 ♯ | 4 ♯ | 5 ♯ | 6 ♯ | 7 ♯ |
| Major keys: | Ces | Ges | Des | As | It | B | F | C | G | D | A | E | H | F# | C sharp |
| Minor keys: | as | it | b | f | c | g | d | a | e | h | F# | cis | gis | dis | ais |
Questions and Answers
Q: What is A-flat major?
A: A-flat major is a major scale that starts on A-flat. It is known for its peaceful sound and was used often by Franz Schubert.
Q: What is the relative minor of A-flat major?
A: The relative minor of A-flat major is F minor.
Q: How many piano pieces did Frédéric Chopin compose in this key?
A: Frédéric Chopin composed 24 piano pieces in A-flat major, more than any other key.
Q: Who considered this to be the second best key for flute music?
A: Charles-Marie Widor considered A-flat major to be the second best key for flute music.
Q: Why did Beethoven choose it as the key of the slow movement for most of his C minor works?
A: Beethoven chose A-flat major as the key of the slow movement for most of his C minor works because it had a peaceful sound which contrasted with the faster movements in C Minor.
Q: How were timpani tuned during orchestral music from 18th century in this key?
A: Since A-flat major was not often chosen as the main key for orchestral music of the 18th century, passages or movements in this key often kept their timpani tuned from how they were set up before, rather than retuning them to fit into this new key.
Q: Which famous symphonies are written in this key?
A: Edward Elgar's Symphony No. 1 in A flat Major and Arnold Bax's last symphony are two famous symphonies written in this key.
