Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| A♯ | Root | 1 |
| C♯♯ | Major 3rd | 3 |
| E♯ | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| G♯♯ | Major 7th | 7 |
Fingering
| Note | Key color | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♯ | black | index finger (2) | little finger (5) |
| C♯♯ | white | middle finger (3) | ring finger (4) |
| E♯ | white | ring finger (4) | middle finger (3) |
| G♯♯ | white | little finger (5) | index finger (2) |
Right hand: index finger (2) on A♯, middle finger (3) on C♯♯, ring finger (4) on E♯, little finger (5) on G♯♯.
Left hand: little finger (5) on A♯, ring finger (4) on C♯♯, middle finger (3) on E♯, index finger (2) on G♯♯.
A♯ Major 7th Inversions
- Root positionA♯ – C♯♯ – E♯ – G♯♯
- 1st inversion (A♯maj7/C♯♯)C♯♯ – E♯ – G♯♯ – A♯
- 2nd inversion (A♯maj7/E♯)E♯ – G♯♯ – A♯ – C♯♯
- 3rd inversion (A♯maj7/G♯♯)G♯♯ – A♯ – C♯♯ – E♯
Key Signature
A chord has no key signature of its own, but the A♯ Major 7th is the tonic (I) chord of A♯ Major, whose key signature has 2 flats (B♭, E♭).
Order of flats
Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of A♯ Major
These are the triads built on each degree of A♯ Major:
Scales That Include the A♯ Major 7th
- Bb Major (Imaj7)
- F Major (IVmaj7)
- D Minor (♭VImaj7)
- G Minor (♭IIImaj7)
- C Dorian (VII)
- D Phrygian (VI)
- Eb Lydian (V)
- F Mixolydian (IV)
A♯ Major 7th : Frequently Asked Questions
What is the A♯ Major 7th chord on piano?
What is the A# piano chord?
What notes are in the A# Major 7th chord?
How is the A# Major 7th chord used in music?
What is the fingering for A# Major 7th?
What are the inversions of A# Major 7th?
A♯ Major 7th in detail
Exact
Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.
| Type | Notes | Semitones | Span | Omissions and additions | Set relation | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close, root position | A♯3 C×4 E♯4 G×4 | 11 | 151 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, first inversion | C×4 E♯4 G×4 A♯4 | 8 | 110 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, second inversion | E♯4 G×4 A♯4 C×5 | 9 | 124 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, third inversion | G×4 A♯4 C×5 E♯5 | 8 | 110 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 | E♯3 A♯3 C×4 G×4 | 16 | 220 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 3 | C×3 A♯3 E♯4 G×4 | 19 | 261 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 and 4 | A♯2 E♯3 C×4 G×4 | 23 | 316 mm | none | identical |
Reduced
A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.
| Type | Notes | Semitones | Span | Omissions and additions | Set relation | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell, root 7 3 | A♯2 G×3 C×4 | 16 | 220 mm | omits E♯ | subset | |
| Guide tones, 3 and 7 | C×4 G×4 | 7 | 96 mm | omits A♯ and E♯ | subset | |
| Rootless close | C×4 E♯4 G×4 | 7 | 96 mm | omits A♯ | subset |
Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).
| Position | Bass note | Notes in order | Figured bass | Semitones | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | A♯ | A♯3, C×4, E♯4, G×4 | 7 | 11 | 151 mm |
| First inversion: A♯maj7/C× | C× | C×4, E♯4, G×4, A♯4 | 6/5 | 8 | 110 mm |
| Second inversion: A♯maj7/E♯ | E♯ | E♯4, G×4, A♯4, C×5 | 4/3 | 9 | 124 mm |
| Third inversion: A♯maj7/G× | G× | G×4, A♯4, C×5, E♯5 | 4/2 | 8 | 110 mm |
One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.
| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ♭VI, iv, i, v | D minor | ♭VImaj7 | B♭maj7 to Gm7 to Dm7 to Am7 | A♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| i, ♭VI | D minor | ♭VImaj7 | Dm7 to B♭maj7 | 3 tones held from Dm7 |
| IV, V, I | F major | IVmaj7 | B♭maj7 to C7 to Fmaj7 | A♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| I, IV | F major | IVmaj7 | Fmaj7 to B♭maj7 | 2 tones held from Fmaj7 |
| ♭III, ♭VI, ii, v | G minor | ♭IIImaj7 | B♭maj7 to E♭maj7 to Am7♭5 to Dm7 | A♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| i, ♭III | G minor | ♭IIImaj7 | Gm7 to B♭maj7 | 3 tones held from Gm7 |
| ii, V, I | B♭ major | Imaj7 | Cm7 to F7 to B♭maj7 | 2 tones held from F7 |
| IV, I | B♭ major | Imaj7 | E♭maj7 to B♭maj7 | 2 tones held from E♭maj7 |
| I, vi, ii, V | B♭ major | Imaj7 | B♭maj7 to Gm7 to Cm7 to F7 | A♯maj7 opens the phrase |
Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.
Which keys it belongs to
| Key | Roman numeral | Function |
|---|---|---|
| D minor | ♭VImaj7 | Pre-dominant colour |
| F major | IVmaj7 | Subdominant, away from home |
| G minor | ♭IIImaj7 | Relative-major colour |
| B♭ major | Imaj7 | Tonic, home |
Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.
Change one note
Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.
| Chord | Change | Formula | Common tones |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♯maj9 | adds B♯ | 1 3 5 7 9 | 4 |
| A♯ | drops G× | 1 3 5 | 3 |
| A♯7 | G× becomes G♯ | 1 3 5 ♭7 | 3 |
| A♯mMaj7 | C× becomes C♯ | 1 ♭3 5 7 | 3 |
| A♯6 | G× becomes F× | 1 3 5 6 | 3 |
| A♯add9 | G× becomes B♯ | 1 3 5 9 | 3 |
| A♯9 | G× becomes G♯, B♯ | 1 3 5 ♭7 9 | 3 |
| A♯m | C×, G× becomes C♯ | 1 ♭3 5 | 2 |
| A♯aug | E♯, G× becomes E× | 1 3 ♯5 | 2 |
| A♯sus2 | C×, G× becomes B♯ | 1 2 5 | 2 |
| A♯sus4 | C×, G× becomes D♯ | 1 4 5 | 2 |
| A♯m7 | C×, G× becomes C♯, G♯ | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | 2 |
Frequencies
| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| A♯3 | 58 | 233.08 Hz |
| C×4 | 62 | 293.66 Hz |
| E♯4 | 65 | 349.23 Hz |
| G×4 | 69 | 440.00 Hz |
Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.
Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector
- Absolute pitch class set
- {10, 2, 5, 9}
- Normal order
- [9, 10, 2, 5]
- Prime form
- (0158)
- Forte number
- 4-20
- Interval vector
- <101220>
| Pair | Interval | Semitones | Interval class |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♯ to C× | Major third | 4 | 4 |
| A♯ to E♯ | Perfect fifth | 7 | 5 |
| A♯ to G× | Major seventh | 11 | 1 |
| C× to E♯ | Minor third | 3 | 3 |
| C× to G× | Perfect fifth | 7 | 5 |
| E♯ to G× | Major third | 4 | 4 |
Where these facts come from
Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a major 7th applied to the root A♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.