The Key of A# — Dobro

A# major harmonises to A# – Cm – Dm – D# – F – Gm – A°; A# minor to A#m – C° – C# – D#m – Fm – F# – G#. A caller does not say any of that. They say the key and then hold up fingers, and the whole circle is expected to translate.

A# is not one of the four keys a bluegrass circle usually calls, so when it comes up it is because a singer needed it — and somebody in the band is capoing to make their shapes fit.

Learn 1–4–5 in A# until your hand goes there without asking, then 1–6m–4–5 and the 2–5 that walks into a tag, and most of the repertoire is already playable in this key.