G major

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G major

Relative key	E minor
Parallel key	G minor
Component pitches
G, A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G

G major is a major scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, F# and G. Its key signature consists of one sharp.

In the treble clef, the sharp is usually placed on the first space from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first line from the bottom.

Its relative minor is E minor, and its parallel minor is G minor.

In the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, "G major is often a key of 6/8 chain rhythms," according to Alfred Einstein, and in the Baroque era, G major was regarded as the "key of benediction."

69 of Domenico Scarlatti's 555 keyboard sonatas are in G major, and 12 of Joseph Haydn's 104 Symphonies are in G major. Beethoven, on the other hand, hardly used G major, his only major orchestral work in the key being his Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major.

For orchestral works in G major, the timpani are typically set to G and D a fifth apart, rather than a fourth apart as for most other keys.

G is one of the most frequently-employed keys across classical and popular music. This is in part because of its relative ease of playing on both keyboard and string instruments, especially guitar.

Contents 1 Well-known classical compositions in this key 2 Well-known contemporary music in this key 3 Reference 4 External links

[edit] Well-known classical compositions in this key

• Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• "Dalla Sua Pace" (from Don Giovanni) - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 - Johann Sebastian Bach
• Goldberg Variations - Johann Sebastian Bach
• Surprise Symphony - Joseph Haydn
• Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major - Ludwig Van Beethoven
• Symphony No. 4 - Gustav Mahler
• Trepak - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

[edit] Well-known contemporary music in this key

• All You Need Is Love - The Beatles
• Already Gone - Eagles
• American Pie - Don McLean
• Baby I Love Your Way - Peter Frampton
• Bananaphone - Raffi
• Big Girls Don't Cry - The Four Seasons
• Blackbird - The Beatles
• Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
• Centerfold - J. Geils Band
• Cherry Oh Baby - UB40
• Closing Time - Semisonic
• Cosmic Dancer - T.Rex
• Creep - Radiohead
• Crocodile Rock - Elton John
• Diana - Paul Anka
• Duel of the Fates - John Williams
• Father and Son - Cat Stevens
• Five Colours In Her Hair - McFly
• Georgia on My Mind - Ray Charles
• Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day
• Heart of Gold - Neil Young
• Hot Blooded - Foreigner
• I Fought the Law - Bobby Fuller Four
• I Want You - Savage Garden
• I'm a Believer - The Monkees
• Live and Let Die - Paul McCartney & Wings (also in G minor)
• (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame - Elvis Presley
• Metal Guru - T.Rex
• Mother - Pink Floyd
• My Sharona - The Knack
• One Life to Live theme
• River of Dreams - Billy Joel
• The Sign - Ace of Base
• Sitting on the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
• The SpongeBob SquarePants theme
• Stand by Me - Oasis
• Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day
• You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC

[edit] Reference

• Alfred Einstein, Mozart, His Character, His Work, Chapter 10, "Mozart's Choice Of Keys"

Diatonic Scales and Keys
	Flats Sharps Major minor Major minor 0 C (Major), a (minor) 1 F d G e 2 B♭ g D b 3 E♭ c A f♯ 4 A♭ f E c♯ 5 D♭ b♭ B g♯ 6 G♭ e♭ F♯ d♯ 7 C♭ a♭ C♯ a♯
lower case letters are minor the table indicates the number of sharps or flats in each scale

[edit] External links

• G Major - Free G Major Scale Print Out with Arpeggios and Broken Chords for Piano