Key signatures are essential tools in music notation. They simplify scores by indicating which notes are consistently sharp or flat throughout a piece, defining the key of the music.
A key signature is a set of sharp (#) or flat (♭) symbols placed on the staff at the beginning of a piece of music, right after the clef. It tells musicians which notes to play consistently higher or lower than their natural pitch.
Instead of writing an accidental next to every F, C, G, D, and A in the key of B major, for example, we can just write five sharps in the key signature.
Key Benefit:
Question 1: What major key has 3 sharps (F#, C#, G#)?
Show Answer
The last sharp is G#. Go up a semitone from G# to A. So, the key is A Major.
Question 2: What major key has 2 flats (B♭, E♭)?
Show Answer
The second-to-last flat is B♭. So, the key is B♭ Major.
Question 3: What is the order of the first four flats?
Show Answer
B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ (Battle Ends And Down...)
Lesson Summary
- Key signatures (sharps or flats after the clef) define the key of a piece.
- Sharps (#) raise notes by a semitone; Flats (♭) lower notes by a semitone.
- Order of Sharps: F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#.
- Order of Flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭.
- To find a major key with sharps: go up a semitone from the last sharp. (C Major = no sharps/flats).
- To find a major key with flats: use the second-to-last flat. (F Major = 1 flat, B♭).
- Every major key has a relative minor sharing the same key signature, found 3 semitones below the major tonic.