Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Composer's Lounge Notation Question

Hello,

I am composing a piece that is in A minor and I am writing a section F# minor. When writing the V7 chord in F# minor, should I write an F natural, or an E#? I did not change the key signature, so there are still no sharps or flats in the key signature.

Thank you!

Hi, You would use an E sharp here not an F natural so the intervals between the notes of the chord were spelled correctly.

C#, E#, G# and B natural.

Regards,
Simon.

Thank you!

I have to ask why. Using f natural would in this case be easier to read since the key hasnt changed even though there is a short passage with F# minor. . Its a piece in A minor?
If not writing in a key change i believe the E#sharp might be confusing even thlugh correct?
But yes i am uncertain myself how to handle that. Lets say you modulated the song to F#major for a shoet passage and wanted an A-note. Would you use the nowadays uncommon x-symbol in front of the G?
Or just the A?

This is indeed a very intresting question.

It would not be easier to read to an informed musician. The E# is the expected accidental and note in a C#7 chord. An F would get a "what the heck" reaction, and probably dismissal as the composer didn't know how to spell the chord correctly.

Regarding your second question, it depends on the function of the A in F# major. If you were modulating back to F# minor it would be an A because you're reducing the number of sharps. The only reason to require a Gx would be as a secondary dominant to A#. While it's not impossible to get there it's pretty far beyond a normal modulatory scheme . As a composer I sometimes shift from sharps to flats if I'm going to continue in a particular direction.