Key signature names and translations

When a particular musical key or key signature is not described in the English language, there are two main systems that are used.

Tonic sulfa – used in Italian and French key references.
German key notation – used in German key references.

One uses a translation from the pitch translation table below and appends a major/minor alteration from the table where required. Note that it is common to only append a 'minor' alteration as a key description missing an alteration is automatically assumed to be major.

For example, to describe Bach's Mass in B minor one could use:

B minor (English)
Si mineur (French)
H moll (German)
Si bemolle (Italian)

An apostrophe is usually added in the German notation scheme between the pitch and the alteration, and due to it's terse nature, the 'major' indicator is invariably appended.

Pitch translation table
English	French	German	Italian
C	Ut	C	Do
C sharp	Ut dièse	Cis	Do diesis
C flat	Ut bémol	Ces	Do bemolle
D	Ré	D	Re
D sharp	Ré dièse	Dis	Re diesis
D flat	Ré bémol	Des	Re bemolle
E	Mi	E	Mi
E sharp	Mi dièse	Eis	Mi diesis
E flat	Mi bémol	Es	Mi bemolle
F	Fa	F	Fa
F sharp	Fa dièse	Fis	Fa diesis
F flat	Fa bémol	Fes	Fa bemolle
G	Sol	G	Sol
G sharp	Sol dièse	Gis	Sol diesis
G flat	Sol bémol	Ges	Sol bemolle
A	La	A	La
A sharp	La dièse	Ais	La diesis
A flat	La bémol	As	La bemolle
B	Si	H	Si
B sharp	Si dièse	His	Si diesis
B flat	Si bémol	B	Si bemolle

Major/minor alteration
English	French	German	Italian
major	majeur	Dur	maggiore
minor	mineur	Moll	minore