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Key signature names and translations

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When a particular musical key or key signature is not described in the English language, there are two main systems that are used instead:

  1. Tonic sulfa - used in Italian and French key references.
  2. German key notation - used in German key references.

To construct a key description, locate the note name from the pitch translation table and append a major/minor alteration from the lower table where required.

Note that the 'major' alteration is usually superfluous, as a key description missing an alteration is invariably assumed to be major.

For example, to describe Bach's Mass in B minor one could use:

  • B minor (English)
  • Si mineur (French)
  • H moll (German)
  • Si minore (Italian)

In the German notation scheme, a hyphen is sometimes added between the pitch and the alteration—for example, D-dur—and due to its terse nature, the 'major' indicator, dur is invariably appended.

Pitch translation table
English French German Italian
C Ut C Do
C sharp Ut dièse Cis Do diesis
C flat Ut bémol Ces Do bemolle
D Ré D Re
D sharp Ré dièse Dis Re diesis
D flat Ré bémol Des Re bemolle
E Mi E Mi
E sharp Mi dièse Eis Mi diesis
E flat Mi bémol Es Mi bemolle
F Fa F Fa
F sharp Fa dièse Fis Fa diesis
F flat Fa bémol Fes Fa bemolle
G Sol G Sol
G sharp Sol dièse Gis Sol diesis
G flat Sol bémol Ges Sol bemolle
A La A La
A sharp La dièse Ais La diesis
A flat La bémol As La bemolle
B Si H Si
B sharp Si dièse His Si diesis
B flat Si bémol B Si bemolle
Major/minor alteration
English French German Italian
majormajeurDurmaggiore
minor mineurMollminore
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