When a musical key or key signature is referred to in a language other than English, that language may use the usual notation used in English (namely the letters A to G, along with translations of the words sharp, flat, major and minor in that language): languages which use the English system include Irish, Welsh, Hindi, Japanese (based on katakana in iroha order), Korean (based on hangul in ganada order), Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Filipino, Swahili, Esperanto.
Or it may use some different notation. Two notation systems are most commonly found beside the English system, the Fixed Do key notation and the German key notation
Fixed Do key notation – used (among others) in Italian, French, Dutch (in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium), Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Basque, Russian (along with the German system), Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Latvian, Lithuanian (along with the German and English system), Romanian, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Turkish (along with the English system) and Vietnamese. Most countries (though not all, e.g. Serbia) where Fixed Do solmization is used also use the Fixed Do key notation. Instead of the letters C, D, E, F, G, A, B, seven syllables (derived from solfege) are used to refer to the seven diatonic tones of C major: Do (in French Do or Ut), Re, Mi, Fa, Sol (never So), La, Si (never Ti), with some variations and adaptations according to country, language and alphabet, followed by the accidental (natural is clearly most often omitted) and then the major/minor qualifier as needed. German key notation – used (among others) in German, Dutch (in the Netherlands, where it is used along with the English system), Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Serbian (along with the English system), Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene, Hungarian, Polish, Czech and Slovak. The German key notation differs from the English system in two respects, namely that B is referred to by the letter H and B by the letter B by itself, and that sharp and flat designations do not use words but suffix is for sharps and suffix es (reduced to s if the tone letter is a vowel) for flats, except that (as already mentioned) in the German system the letter B by itself already means B flat. However, in some places where the German system is in use one may encounter the use of B for B and Bes for B. This is especially common in the Netherlands.
There has been a tendency in some countries that historically used the Fixed Do key notation or the German key notation to switch to the English system, especially among musicians working in popular music genres or jazz. The only case where this can lead to some confusion is when the letter B is used because it would not be clear whether the intention was for it to be understood as B (English system) or B (German system). Another tendency has been to use the English system in writing but to read it out according to either the Fixed Do or the German system if those are the systems used locally. For example, recent French scores or books may use the English system (this is especially common for chord symbols), but French users would read out that notation according to the Fixed Do system. Similarly, a Dutch musician may refer to a written F orally as Fis. This article is concerned with written usage.
To form a key designation, locate the note name in the pitch translation table and add the major/minor qualifier from the lower table as needed.
+Pitch translation table alphabetic systems solmization systemsEnglish German Dutch (Netherlands) Japanese Chinese KoreanArabic PersianHebrew Italian French Spanish Portuguese Russian Romanian Dutch (Belgium) Greek LithuanianC flat Ces Ces (hen-ha) (jiàng-C) (naerim da)دو-بيمول (Do-bemol) دو بمل (Do Bemol)דוֹ בֵּמוֹל (Do Bemol) Do bemolle Do bémol Do bemol Dó bemol До-бемоль (Do-bemol) Do bemol Do mol Ντο ύφεση (Do hyphesis) Do bemolC C C (ha) C (da)دو (Do) دو (Do)דוֹ (Do) Do Do (Ut) Do Dó До (Do) Do Do Ντο (Do) DoC sharp Cis Cis (ei-ha) (shēng-C) (ollim da)دو-دييز (Do-diez) دو دیز (Do Diez)דוֹ דִּיאֵז (Do Diez) Do diesis Do dièse Do sostenido Dó sustenido До-диез (Do-diez) Do diez Do kruis Ντο δίεση (Do diesis) Do diezD flat Des Des (hen-ni) (jiàng-D) (naerim ra)ري-بيمول (Re-bemol) ر بمل (Re Bemol)רֶה בֵּמוֹל (Re Bemol) Re bemolle Ré bémol Re bemol Ré bemol Ре-бемоль (Re-bemol) Re bemol Re mol Ρε ύφεση (Re hyphesis) Re bemolD D D (ni) D (ra)ري (Re) ر (Re)רֶה (Re) Re Ré Re Ré Ре (Re) Re Re Ρε (Re) ReD sharp Dis Dis (ei-ni) (shēng-D) (ollim ra)ري-دييز (Re-diez) ر دیز (Re Diez)רֶה דִּיאֵז (Re Diez) Re diesis Ré dièse Re sostenido Ré sustenido Ре-диез (Re-diez) Re diez Re kruis Ρε δίεση (Re diesis) Re diezE flat Es Es (hen-ho) (jiàng-E) (naerim ma)مي-بيمول (Mi-bemol) می بمل (Mi Bemol)מִי בֵּמוֹל (Mi Bemol) Mi bemolle Mi bémol Mi bemol Mi bemol Ми-бемоль (Mi-bemol) Mi bemol Mi mol Μι ύφεση (Mi hyphesis) Mi bemolE E E (ho) E (ma)مي (Mi) می (Mi)מִי (Mi) Mi Mi Mi Mi Ми (Mi) Mi Mi Μι (Mi) MiE sharp Eis Eis (ei-ho) (shēng-E) (ollim ma)مي-دييز (Mi-diez) می دیز (MI Diez)מִי דִּיאֵז (Mi Diez) Mi diesis Mi dièse Mi sostenido Mi sustenido Ми-диез (M-diez) Mi diez Mi kruis Μι δίεση (Mi diesis) Mi diezF flat Fes Fes (hen-he) (jiàng-F) (naerim ba)فا-بيمول (Fa-bemol) فا بمل (Fa Bemol) פַה בֵּמוֹל (Fa Bemol) Fa bemolle Fa bémol Fa bemol Fá bemol Фа-бемоль (Fa-bemol) Fa bemol Fa mol Φα ύφεση (Fa hyphesis) Fa bemolF F F (he) F (ba)فا (Fa) فا (Fa)פַה (Fa) Fa Fa Fa Fá Фа (Fa) Fa Fa Φα (Fa) FaF sharp Fis Fis (ei-he) (shēng-F) (ollim ba)فا-دييز (Fa-diez) فا دیز (Fa Diez)פַה דִּיאֵז (Fa Diez) Fa diesis Fa dièse Fa sostenido Fá sustenido Фа-диез (Fa diez) Fa diez Fa kruis Φα δίεση (Fa diesis) Fa diezG flat Ges Ges (hen-to) (jiàng-G) (naerim sa)صول-بيمول (Sol-bemol) سول بمل (Sol Bemol)סוֹל בֵּמוֹל (Sol Bemol) Sol bemolle Sol bémol Sol bemol Sol bemol Соль-бемоль (Sol-bemol) Sol bemol Sol mol Σολ ύφεση (Sol hyphesis) Sol bemolG G G (to) G (sa)صول (Sol) سول (Sol)סוֹל (Sol) Sol Sol Sol Sol Соль (Sol) Sol Sol Σολ (Sol) SolG sharp Gis Gis (ei-to) (shēng-G) (ollim sa) صول-دييز (Sol-diez) سول دیز (Sol Diez)סוֹל דִּיאֵז (Sol Diez) Sol diesis Sol dièse Sol sostenido Sol sustenido Соль-диез (Sol-diez) Sol diez Sol kruis Σολ δίεση (Sol diesis) Sol diezA flat As As (hen-i) (jiàng-A) (naerim ga)لا-بيمول (la-bemol) لا بمل (La Bemol)לַה בֵּמוֹל (La Bemol) La bemolle La bémol La bemol Lá bemol Ля-бемоль (Lja-bemol) La bemol La mol Λα ύφεση (La hyphesis) Lia bemolA A A (i) A (ga)لا (La) لا (La)לַה (La) La La La Lá Ля (Lja) La La Λα (La) LiaA sharp Ais Ais (ei-i) (shēng-A) (ollim ga)لا-دييز (La-diez) لا دیز (La Diez)לַה דִּיאֵז (La Diez) La diesis La dièse La sostenido Lá sustenido Ля-диез (Lja-diez) La diez La kruis Λα δίεση (La diesis) Lia diezB flat B Bes (hen-ro) (jiàng-B) (naerim na)سي-بيمول (Si-bemol) سی بمل (Si Bemol)סִי בֵּמוֹל (Si Bemol) Si bemolle Si bémol Si bemol Si bemol Си-бемоль (Si-bemol) Si bemol Si mol Σι ύφεση (Si hyphesis) Si bemolB H B (ro) B (na)سي (Si) سی (Si)סִי (Si) Si Si Si Si Си (Si) Si Si Σι (Si) SiB sharp His Bis (ei-ro) (shēng-B) (ollim na)سي-دييز (Si-diez) سی دیز (Si Diez)סִי דִּיאֵז (Si Diez) Si diesis Si dièse Si sostenido Si sustenido Си-диез (Si-diez) Si diez Si kruis Σι δίεση (Si diesis) Si diez
+Major/minor alterationEnglish Arabic German DutchThe French words majeur and mineur are also used JapaneseChinese Korean Italian French Spanish PersianHebrew Portuguese Russian Romanian Greek Lithuanianmajor الكبير (alkabeer) Dur groot, grote terts (chōchō) 大調 (dà-diào) (jangjo) maggiore majeur mayor ماژور (Mažor)מָאז'וֹר (Major) maior мажор major μείζονα mažoras/durminor الصغير (alsagheer) Moll klein, kleine terts (tanchō) 小調 (xiǎo-diào) (danjo) minore mineur menor مینور (Minor)מִינוֹר (Minor) menor минор minor ελάσσονα minoras/moll
The 'major' alteration is usually superfluous, as a key description missing an alteration is invariably assumed to be major.
In the German notation scheme, a hyphen is added between the pitch and the alteration (D-Dur).
In German, Dutch, and Lithuanian, the minor key signatures are written with a lower case letter (d-Moll, d klein, d kleine terts).
For example, to describe a piece composed in the key of F-sharp major, one could say:
F-sharp major (English) فا-دييز الكبير (fa-diez alkabeer) (Arabic) פַה דִּיאֵז מָאז'וֹר (Fa diez major) (Hebrew) Fis-Dur (German) Fis groot (Dutch; The Netherlands) (shēng-F dà-diào) (Chinese) (ei-he chōchō) (Japanese) (ollim ba jangjo) (Korean) Fa diesis maggiore (Italian) Fa dièse majeur (French) Fa sostenido mayor (Spanish) Fá sustenido maior (Portuguese) Фа-диез мажор (Russian) Fa diez major (Romanian) Fa kruis groot (Dutch; Belgium) Φα δίεση μείζονα (Greek) Fa diez mažoras/Fis-dur (Lithuanian)
Another example, to describe a piece composed in the key of E-flat minor, one could say:
E-flat minor (English) مي-بيمول الصغير (mi-bemol alsagheer) (Arabic) מִי בֵּמוֹל מִינוֹר (Mi bemol minor) (Hebrew) es-Moll (German) es klein (Dutch; The Netherlands) (jiàng-E xiǎo-diào) (Chinese) (hen-ho tanchō) (Japanese) (naerim ma danjo) (Korean) Mi bemolle minore (Italian) Mi bémol mineur (French) Mi bemol menor (Spanish) Mi bemol menor (Portuguese) Ми-бемоль минор (Russian) Mi bemol minor (Romanian) Mi mol klein (Dutch; Belgium) Μι ύφεση ελάσσονα (Greek) Mi bemol minoras/es-moll (Lithuanian)
References
External links Table of the names of keys in French, German, Italian, and Spanish hosted by Yale University.