D Major
Major key with two sharps (F sharp, C sharp); relative major of B minor.
What it means
D major is a major key with two sharps, F sharp and C sharp. Its relative minor, sharing the same key signature, is B minor; its parallel minor, D minor, contrasts sharply with a single flat.
In the notation
The D major scale consists of D, E, F sharp, G, A, B, C sharp, D. In the notation the two sharps appear on the lines or spaces for F and C.
Musical use
D major is traditionally regarded as an especially bright, resonant key, since it suits the open strings of the violin and viola (D and A) and the natural notes available to Baroque trumpets and timpani. For this reason it was often chosen for festive, brilliant orchestral works, including many Baroque and Classical symphonies and solo concertos that draw on the open, ringing sound of strings and brass.