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