Scale degrees · C major
The ♯5 of C is G♯
The ♯5 (sharp five, written #5) of C is G♯ (G sharp): an augmented fifth above the root.
C — the root, 1G♯ — the ♯5
How to find it
Count letters first, the root included: C, D, E, F, G. A 5th lands on G.
Then the sound: an augmented fifth is 8 semitones above C, and the G that is 8 semitones up is G♯.
That is why it is G♯ and not A♭: A♭ is the same key on the piano, but from C it would be a 6th, not a 5th.
Where you meet it
The ♯5 is the 5th of the augmented chord. Over a dominant the same key on the piano is usually written ♭13.
In C+:
C · E · G♯
The ♯5 in every key
| Key | The ♯5 |
|---|---|
| C | G♯ |
| G | D♯ |
| D | A♯ |
| A | E♯ |
| E | B♯ |
| B | F𝄪 |
| F♯ | C𝄪 |
| D♭ | A |
| A♭ | E |
| E♭ | B |
| B♭ | F♯ |
| F | C♯ |
Every degree of C
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