| A key signature will appear at the beginning of a piece | | | | sharp and E sharp and the key is F sharp major |
| of sheet music. This will tell you if sharps and flats will | | | | Seven sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, A |
| be played in the piece or if no sharps and flats will be | | | | sharp, E sharp and B sharp and the key is C sharp |
| played. If you don't see any sharps or flats at the | | | | major |
| beginning of the piece then this is normally referred to | | | | One flat means all occurrences of B are flat and the |
| as open key or C major. Sharps and flats can be | | | | key is F major |
| written in various bars throughout the piece and these | | | | Two flats = B flat and E flat and the key is B flat |
| are known as accidentals and will last for the bars | | | | major |
| duration only. | | | | Three flats = B flat, E flat and A flat and the key is E |
| Sharps and flats at the beginning of a piece can also | | | | flat major |
| indicate which key the piece is written in although there | | | | Four flats = B flat, E flat, A flat and D flat and the key |
| are other elements of the piece that also determine | | | | is A flat major |
| this because major and minor keys can share the | | | | Five flats = B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat and G flat and |
| same key signature, for example C major and A minor | | | | the key is D flat major |
| share the same key signature, that is, no sharps or | | | | Six flats = B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat and C flat |
| flats, also G major and E minor share the same key | | | | and the key is G flat major |
| signature of one sharp, (F Sharp). These similarities are | | | | Seven flats = B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat, C flat |
| known as relatives. So C majors relative minor is A | | | | and F flat and the key is C flat major |
| minor. They are relatives because they share the | | | | No flats or sharps indicates the key of C major |
| same key signature. | | | | A good way to learn all these keys is to use a |
| Since most people start to learn in major keys, we will | | | | method, which I call the rule of seven. By adding the |
| use examples in major keys only. At the beginning of a | | | | amount of sharps a key has to the amount of flats a |
| piece of music, to the right of the treble clef and the | | | | key has, you should always end up with seven. That |
| bass clef is where you will see sharps and flats. | | | | means if you memorise either the sharps keys or the |
| One sharp means all occurrences of F are sharp and | | | | flat keys you can work out the other by creating a |
| the key is G major | | | | relationship. We create the relationship using the letters, |
| Two sharps = F sharp and C sharp and the key is D | | | | for example, B major and B flat major. B major has |
| major | | | | five sharps B flat major has two flats 5+2=7. Lets try |
| Three sharps = F sharp, C sharp and G sharp and the | | | | E major and E flat, once you know that E flat has |
| key is A major | | | | three flats you can work out how many sharps are in |
| Four sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp and D sharp | | | | E major. So if E flat has three flats then E major must |
| and the key is E major | | | | have four sharps 3+4=7 |
| Five sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp and | | | | The exception to this rule is C flat major and C sharp |
| A sharp and the key is B major | | | | major, make sure to relate both these keys with C |
| Six sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, A | | | | major. |