C in A major
In A major, C is C♯ (sharp)
In A major, C is C♯ (sharp)The key signature of A major puts a sharp on every C.
Is C sharp in A major?
In A major, C is C♯: the key signature puts a sharp on every C, in every octave, for as long as that signature stands.
The signature of A major is three sharps, F♯, C♯ and G♯. C♯ is one of them, which is why you never see a sharp written next to the note — the signature at the start of the staff already said it.
Spelled from the tonic, the A major scale runs A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯ — one of each letter, each carrying whatever the signature gives it. The staff above draws the A major signature and the note C♯ inside it — exactly as you would meet it in a piece written in this key.
Every letter in A major
A major has three sharps, F♯, C♯ and G♯. That fixes what each of the seven letters is called in this key:
- C is C♯ — the letter on this page
- D is D (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
- E is E (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
- F is F♯
- G is G♯
- A is A (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
- B is B (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
Related keys
A major shares its signature with its relative F♯ minor — the same sharps or flats, so C is C♯ there too.
Frequently asked questions
- Is C sharp in A major?
- Yes. A major has three sharps, F♯, C♯ and G♯, and C♯ is one of them, so every C in the key is played as C♯.
- What accidental does C carry in A major?
- C is C♯ (sharp). The signature of A major is three sharps, F♯, C♯ and G♯. C♯ is one of them, which is why you never see a sharp written next to the note — the signature at the start of the staff already said it.
- What sharps or flats are in A major?
- A major has three sharps, F♯, C♯ and G♯ — written in that order at the start of the staff.
- How is the A major scale spelled?
- From the tonic up: A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯. Each letter appears once, carrying whatever the key signature gives it.