D in E major
In E major, D is D♯ (sharp)
In E major, D is D♯ (sharp)The key signature of E major puts a sharp on every D.
Is D sharp in E major?
In E major, D is D♯: the key signature puts a sharp on every D, in every octave, for as long as that signature stands.
The signature of E major is four sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯. D♯ 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 E major scale runs E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯ — one of each letter, each carrying whatever the signature gives it. The staff above draws the E major signature and the note D♯ inside it — exactly as you would meet it in a piece written in this key.
Every letter in E major
E major has four sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯. That fixes what each of the seven letters is called in this key:
- C is C♯
- D is D♯ — the letter on this page
- 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
E major shares its signature with its relative C♯ minor — the same sharps or flats, so D is D♯ there too.
Frequently asked questions
- Is D sharp in E major?
- Yes. E major has four sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯, and D♯ is one of them, so every D in the key is played as D♯.
- What accidental does D carry in E major?
- D is D♯ (sharp). The signature of E major is four sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯. D♯ 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 E major?
- E major has four sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯ — written in that order at the start of the staff.
- How is the E major scale spelled?
- From the tonic up: E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯. Each letter appears once, carrying whatever the key signature gives it.