KEY SIGNATURES

Class: Year 7

What are key signatures?

Key signatures are sharp or flat signs placed at the beginning of a staff after the clef sign. A key signature is used to tell the key of a piece of music. E. g. 

A key signature designates notes that are to be played higher or lower in a piece of music. Key signatures are written with sharp (#) or flat (b) signs.

TYPES OF KEY SIGNATURES

There are two types of key signature.

1. The major key signature.

2. The minor key signature.

Both the majors keys and minor keys make use of sharp or flat signs. 

In this lessons we are going to concentrate on major keys with sharp signs.

Table of major keys with sharp signs

The staff bellow shows different major key signatures that uses sharp signs.

ANALYSIS

C major – 0 sharps

There are no sharps or flats in the key of C major. The notes of this key are C D E F G A B.

G major – 1 sharp: F#

There is one sharp in the key of G major. That sharp is F#. The notes of this key are G A B C D E F#.

D major – 2 sharps: F# C#

There are two sharps in the key of D major. These sharps are F# and C#. The notes of this key are D E F# G A B C#.

A major – 3 sharps: F# C# G#

There are three sharps in the key of A major. These sharps are F#, C# and G#. The notes of this key are A B C# D E F# G#.

E major – 4 sharps: F# C# G# D#

There are four sharps in the key of E major. These sharps are F#, C#, G# and D#. The notes

 of this key are E F# G# A B C# D#.

B major – 5 sharps: F# C# G# D# A#

There are five sharps in the key of B major. These sharps are F#, C#, G#, D# and A#. The notes of this key are B C# D# E F# G# A#.

F# major – 6 sharps: F# C# G# D# A# E#

There are six sharps in the key of F sharp major. These sharps are F#, C#, G#, D#, A# and E#. The notes of this key are F# G# A# B C# D# E#.

C# major – 7 sharps: F# C# G# D# A# E# B#

There are seven sharps in the key of C sharp major. These sharps are F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E# and B#. Every note is sharp. The notes of this key are C# D# E# F# G# A# B#.