F-flat major F-flat major F major (or the key of F) is a theoretical key based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E Its key signature has six flats and one double flat. The F major scale is: \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { </score> Its relative minor is D minor, usually replaced by C minor (see reason below) and its parallel minor is F minor, usually replaced by E minor, since F minor's four double-flats make it generally impractical to use. Because of that, it is usually enharmonic to E major with
A-flat major passages or movements in the key often retained the timpani settings of the preceding movement. For example, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor has the timpani set to C and G for the first movement. With hand-tuned timpani, there is no time to re-tune the timpani to A-flat and E-flat for the slow second movement in A-flat; accordingly, the timpani in this movement are reserved for the passages in C major. In Bruckner's Symphony No. 1 in C minor, however, the timpani are re-tuned between the first movement in C minor and the following in A-flat major. Charles-Marie Widor