Scale degrees · F♯ major
The 2 of F♯ is G♯
The 2 (two) of F♯ (F sharp, F#) is G♯ (G sharp): a major second above the root.
F♯ — the root, 1G♯ — the 2
How to find it
Count letters first, the root included: F, G. A 2nd lands on G.
Then the sound: a major second is 2 semitones above F♯, and the G that is 2 semitones up is G♯.
That is why it is G♯ and not A♭: A♭ is the same key on the piano, but from F♯ it would be a 3rd, not a 2nd.
Where you meet it
The 2 is a whole step above the root. An octave up it is called the 9 — the same note, G♯ — and it is the first colour most players add to a chord.
In F♯add9:
F♯ · A♯ · C♯ · G♯
The 2 in every key
| Key | The 2 |
|---|---|
| C | D |
| G | A |
| D | E |
| A | B |
| E | F♯ |
| B | C♯ |
| F♯ | G♯ |
| D♭ | E♭ |
| A♭ | B♭ |
| E♭ | F |
| B♭ | C |
| F | G |
Every degree of F♯
Free on iPhone and Android
Name it before
you can count it.
Improvy trains every degree in all 12 keys — the 3, the ♭7, the ♯11 — until you see the note without working it out. A few minutes a day. Free to start; Pro is one payment, never a subscription.
Or try the 60-second test in your browser