Key Signatures

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Published on Friday, 13 April 2012 13:06

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Key Signatures - By guitarelements.com

You have learned by applying various accidentals to produce the desire "Half and Whole step pattern".
The Sharps or Flats use in a particular scale maybe group together and placed on the staff immediately right after the Clef Sign. This is called Key Signature.
With a key signature, it is not necessary to apply accidentals to each altered note.
The Sharp or Flat in the key signature effects all such notes in any Octave. Unless Suppressed or cancelled by an accidental.
The study of scale can be based on Key Signatures alone. It is advisable to study in details and understand key Signatures.

Keys name - Number of sharp	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
key of G	F#
key of D	F#	C#
key of A	F#	C#	G#
key of E	F#	C#	G#	D#
key of B	F#	C#	G#	D#	A#
key of F# or Gb	F#	C#	G#	D#	A#	E#
	Fb	Bb	Eb	Ab	Db	Gb
key of C# or Db	F#	C#	G#	D#	A#	E#	B#
	Fb	Bb	Eb	Ab	Db	Gb	Cb

By placing a key signature, (a group of sharps or flats) at the beginning of a piece we show the performer what key or scale the work is based in without writing in sharps or flats before every note.
The accidentals shown in the key signature apply to those notes throughout the piece unless they are altered by a different accidental placed in the piece itself.
The following example is in the key of A major, which has a key signature of F#, C# and G#.

It is important to note that sharps and flats cannot both exist in the one key signature.
A key signature will either contain just sharps or just flats (any combinations of the two will occur with the addition of accidentals in the music itself).

The Mother of all key - The Major key with no sharps or flats in its key signature is the C Major.
When working with scale, arpeggios, modes. Using The C major scale as reference. see below inage


As you can see the formula for the Major scale is: Half step occurs between step "3 & 4" and between step "7 & 8" of the scale.
This scale is also know as The Ionian - Mode I
There are eleven remain keys for the Major, which use accidentals to balance the scale steps or degrees according to the Major scale formula. see table below.

For every major key there is a related minor key which shares exactly the same key signature.
We can find out what the related minor key is for a major key by counting up to the sixth degree or step of the major key. See image below.

So the minor key which is related to C major is A minor.
We call this the relative minor of C major. This method works for both sharp and flat keys.

Vice versa, if you need to find the relative major of a minor key, you can either count up 6 notes, or count up to the 3rd note.
count down 3 step as: F - E - D  " icluded the F as 1 ".
So F major is relative with D minor - See image below.

To find the major key with one flat, count up four notes from C -  "C Major - the key with no sharps or flats".
So count: 1 is C - 2 is D - 3 is E and 4 is F

The key of F has one flat, Bb in its key signature. See image below

We know that F major has a key signature of 1 flat - The Bb. See above image.


To find the tonic or root note of the next flats key (for example: The key with 2 flats in its key signature).
We count up four notes or steps from F ( F being counted as 1 ).
We find the next tonic or root or key is Bb. New flat or next flat or 2nd flat that is added to the key signature is Eb. See image below.

So the key of Bb major has two flats in this order respectively --- Bb - Eb --- See image below.


To find the major key with one sharp, we count up five notes from C as being counted as 1 --- (C Major - the key with no sharps or flats).

You landed on G. The key of G has one sharp, F# in its key signature, see image below.

We know that G major has a key signature of 1 sharp - F#. See image below.

To find the next sharps key (key with 2 sharp in its key signature).
We count up another five notes or steps from G (G as being counted as 1).
We landed on D. New sharp or 2nd sharp is added to the key signature.
A new sharp or 2nd sharp is add to the key signature - The key is D major has two sharps - F# - C# in this order respectively. See image below.


The key of Bb major has 2 flat - tOrder of the sharp respectively - Bb Eb. See image below.

Count up 6 notes or step to find its relative minor. You landed on G.
G minor has a relative Major, and it is Bb Major.


The key of D major has 2 sharps - The order of the sharp is - F# C#respectively. se image below..

Count up 6 notes or steps - You landed on B.
Key is B minor has a relative major and it is D major.


The key of Eb major has 3 flats - The order of the flats is -  Bb - Eb - Ab - in this order respectively. See image below.


Count up 6 notes or steps to find it relative monir, you landed on C.
C minor has a relative major and it is Eb major.


The key of Ab major has 4 flats, the order of flat is - Bb - Eb - Ab - Db in this order respectively. See image below.

Count up 6 notes or steps from the tonic or root "Ab" , you landed on F.
So you have an F minor,  and it's relative major is the Ab major.


The key of E major has 4 sharps. The order of sharp is F# C# G# D#. See image below.

Count up 6 notes or steps with E as being counted 1 to find it relative minor, You landed on C#.
C# minor has a relative major as the E Major.


The key of Db major has 5 flats - The order of flat respectively as - Bb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb". See image below.

Count up 6 notes or step as Db being counted as 1 to find its relative minor. You landed on Bb.
Bb minor has a realtive major and it is Db major.


The key of B major has 5 sharps - The order of sharp is - F# - C# - G# - D# -A# Respectively. See image below.

Count up 6 notes or steps from the B to find its relative minor. You laneded on G#.
So G# minor has a relative Major and it is B major.


The key of Gb major has 6 flats - The order of flat is - Bb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb - Cb in this order respectively. See image below.

Count up 6 notes or step to find its relative minor. You landed on Eb.
Eb minor has a relative major, and it is Gb Major.


F# major, which has 6 sharps. The order of sharp is F# - C# - G# - D# - A# - E# - See image below.

Count up 6 notes or steps from F# as bing counted as 1. You landed on D#
D# minor has a relative major, and it is the F# major


If you continue to work out the new keys and key signatures for both sharps and flats you will find that they eventually meet up forming what we call:
The circle of fourths or fifths (depending on which way you go around the circle).

Circle of 4ths showing the major keys in uppercase letters and the related minor keys in lowercase letters.
Circle of 4ths refer to key with flat or flats - counting up to 4 notes or steps. Counter clockwise.

Where as when working with sharp or sharps, you count up to five notes or steps - it is clockwise.

My trick to remember and understand key signatures & the Circle of 4ths/5ths below.

I split the table of sharps & flat table above into two group (using color to demonstrate this).

I try to memorize this FCG by repeat saying FCG hundred of times so it sinks in my mind.
I also tell my self  "remember the word "BEAD" with one exception "spell it in reverse as - D A E B". When working with the order of sharps.

As I working with order of sharps - I said FCG ( 1st, 2nd, 3rd sharps respectively ).
Then I remember the word " D A E B " as reverse of "BEAD"
I said many time until it sink in to my mind D A E B - "4th sharp - 5th sharp - 6th sharp - 7th sharp" in this order respectively.

As I working with order of flats - I said the word "BEAD"  ( 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th flats. This order respectively ).
Then I remember the word " GCF " - Notice it is in reverse order as when you work with sharps.
So G is the 5th flat - C is the 6th flat - F is 7th flat. In this order respectively.

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