Scale degrees · A major
The ♭3 of A is C
The ♭3 (flat three, written b3) of A is C: a minor third above the root.
A — the root, 1C — the ♭3
How to find it
Count letters first, the root included: A, B, C. A 3rd lands on C.
Then the sound: a minor third is 3 semitones above A, which is exactly where C is — no sharp or flat needed.
Where you meet it
The ♭3 makes a chord minor: A minor is the root, C and the 5th. Over a dominant chord the same key on the piano is usually written as the ♯9, with another letter.
In A minor:
A · C · E
The ♭3 in every key
| Key | The ♭3 |
|---|---|
| C | E♭ |
| G | B♭ |
| D | F |
| A | C |
| E | G |
| B | D |
| F♯ | A |
| D♭ | F♭ |
| A♭ | C♭ |
| E♭ | G♭ |
| B♭ | D♭ |
| F | A♭ |
Every degree of A
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