A-flat minor
A-flat minor is a key of the tonal family minor, based on the root A-flat. The key of A-flat minor is written in musical notation with seven ♭ (b, es, as, des, ges, ces, fes). The corresponding scale and the fundamental chord of this key (the tonic A-ces-es) are also designated by the term A-flat minor.
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Works in A flat minor
Because of the seven accidentals (one could - enharmonically reinterpreted - represent it more simply with G-sharp minor), this key is not used very often. There are, however, the following significant examples:
- Funeral March (Marcia Funebre) from the Piano Sonata No. 12 in A flat major by Ludwig van Beethoven
- Fugue in A flat minor for organ WoO 8 by Johannes Brahms
- 3rd movement of the String Quintet op. 97 by Antonín Dvořák
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 minor?
A: A-flat minor is a minor scale starting on A♭. Its key signature has seven flats.
Q: What is the relative major of A-flat minor?
A: The relative major of A-flat minor is C-flat major.
Q: What is the parallel major of A-flat minor?
A: The parallel major of A-flat minor is A-flat major.
Q: What is the enharmonic equivalent of A-flat minor?
A: The enharmonic equivalent of A-flat minor is G-sharp minor.
Q: Is it common to use A-flat minor as the main key for a piece of music?
A: No, it is not common to use A-flat minor as the main key for a piece of music.
Q: Why are there few works in A flat Minor?
A: There are few works in A flat Minor because more often pieces in a minor mode that have A♭ as the tonic are written in its enharmonic key, G sharp Minor, which has a simpler key signature.
Q: How can an F be indicated with an "A flat Minor" bass clef key signature ?
A: In some scores, an F can be indicated with an "A flat Minor" bass clef key signature by placing the flat sign on the second line from the top.
