C-sharp minor

C-sharp minor is a minor scale based on C-sharp, consisting of the pitches C-sharp, D-sharp, E, F-sharp, G-sharp, A, B-sharp and C-sharp (harmonic minor scale). Its key signature consists of four sharps.

Its relative major is E major, and its parallel major is C-sharp major.

Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary.

There are only two known Symphonies in the 18th Century written in this key. One of them is by Joseph Martin Kraus, but he appears to have found the key a bit difficult since he later rewrote it in C minor. Even in the following two centuries C-sharp minor Symphonies remained rare, with few besides Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor and Sergei Prokofiev's Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor. This key occurs more often in piano literature, however.