Key

G♯ minor

G♯ minor is the minor key on the tonic G♯ with five sharps in the key signature: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯. Its relative key is B major. On the circle of fifths C♯ minor and D♯ minor are its neighbours.

Tonic: G♯
Key signature: 5 ♯ (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯)
Tonic chord: G♯–B–D♯
Dominant: D♯ major, D♯–F double sharp–A♯
Leading tone: F double sharp
Relative key: B major
Neighbours on the circle of fifths: C♯ minor, D♯ minor

Five sharps, one double sharp

G♯ minor is the relative of B major and shares its key signature: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯. In natural minor the seventh note, F♯, lies a whole tone below the tonic G♯. For the close it is raised by a semitone, and because F♯ already carries a sharp it needs a double sharp: F double sharp. The note sounds like G and is the leading tone that joins the dominant D♯ major to the tonic. The double sharp appears as an accidental in the bar, not in the key signature.

Natural minor

The notes of B major, played from G♯. The five sharps appear here as accidentals before G, A, C, D and F.

Harmonic minor

The seventh degree F♯ is raised to F double sharp. The F double sharp is the leading tone, a semitone below G♯, and sounds like G. Between E and F double sharp lies the augmented second.

In the glossary: Harmonic minor · Relative key

Chords and cadence

G♯miC♯mivD♯VG♯mi

The three chords that the F double sharp changes are marked in the table: the third becomes augmented, the fifth a major triad, the seventh diminished.

Degree	Natural minor	With F double sharp (harmonic)
i	G♯m G♯–B–D♯	G♯m G♯–B–D♯
ii°	A♯° A♯–C♯–E	A♯° A♯–C♯–E
III	B B–D♯–F♯	B+ B–D♯–F double sharp, augmented
iv	C♯m C♯–E–G♯	C♯m C♯–E–G♯
v / V	D♯m D♯–F♯–A♯	D♯ D♯–F double sharp–A♯
VI	E E–G♯–B	E E–G♯–B
VII / vii°	F♯ F♯–A♯–C♯	F double sharp° F double sharp–A♯–C♯, diminished

The enharmonic key A♭ minor

On the piano G♯ minor and A♭ minor are the same key. A♭ minor needs seven flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭), G♯ minor only five sharps. That is why in practice G♯ minor is usually written. More under Enharmonic equivalence.

4 ♯C♯ minorRelative E major

5 ♯G♯ minorRelative B major

6 ♯D♯ minorRelative F♯ major

Practice: Play the harmonic form of G♯ minor at the piano and, at the F double sharp, notice that you play the white key G but think the double sharp. In Key Signatures you practise the order of the sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯.

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Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026

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G♯ minor

Five sharps, one double sharp

Natural minor

Harmonic minor

Chords and cadence

The enharmonic key A♭ minor

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Circle of fifths

The leading tone

Diatonic chords

Related terms