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The key signature theory. As explained in previous chapters: the most commonly used music scale in the Western world is called the major scale. The structure of a major scale is: 2 whole steps, half step, 3 whole steps, half step. When you start a major scale on the note C (do), you get the notes C D E F G A B. This corresponds to the 7 white keys on a piano. The white keys just have alphabet note names, and these notes are also called the “natural notes’. C major scale is the ONLY major scale that has no sharp (#) or flat (b) notes: only “natural” notes. But there are also 5 black keys on the piano. A black key on the piano is either called # (sharp) or b (flat). These are the notes that fall in between the notes 1)C and D (C# / Db), 2)in between D and E (D# / Eb), 3)in between F and G (F# / Gb), 4)in between G and A (G# / Ab) 5)in between A and B (A# / Bb). Since C is the only major scale that has no black keys, that means that the major scales started from any of the other 11 notes, all must have at least 1 sharp or flat (meaning: a black key). Hence: key signatures… A key signature signifies a key. A key signature places the accidentals of various scales at the beginning of the staff. The key signature is always placed at the beginning of a piece of music, right after the clef and before the time signature. It looks like this: With the key signature placed at the very beginning of a piece of music, the musician knows right away what scale the song is written with that he is about to play. This makes it easier for the performer to sight-read the piece of music, because he knows what the notes are that is going to be dealing with throughout the piece, before he starts playing. He knows what to expect and is better prepared to perform the piece more accurately. By having the key signatures for all major scales memorized, through practice you will over time memorize the notes in the other 11 major scales. Though the structure is always the same for a major scale, each key has a certain unique tonal color. Music written with an A major scale for example has a more vibrant, lively color, whereas music written with an Eb major scale, is generally agreed to have a more warm, more “soft-spoken” color. It requires a well-developed ear and sensitivity to hear these differences. It has been debated that Bach, Beethoven or Mozart for example did not choose the key of a composition they were about to write by accident or coincidence. They deliberately chose the scale color that they found best expressed and represented the feel they wanted to convey in the music. Each key signature signifies a scale. Example 1: A major scale starting from F gives following notes: F G A Bb C D E F In the key of F, in order to maintain half steps between 3-4 and 7-8, the 4th note B is flatted to Bb, securing a half step above 3rd note A. That 1 flat “signifies” the key of F. It is its “signature” so to speak. There is only one major scale that has 1 flat, and that is an F major scale. Example 2: G major scale has following notes: G A B C D E F# G In the key of G, in order to maintain half steps between 3-4 and 7-8, the 7th note F has to be raised to F# in order to half a half step between 7 & 8. That 1 sharp “signifies” the key of G. It is its “signature” so to speak. There is only one major scale that has 1 sharp, and that is a G major scale. In other words: a key signature is a number of sharps or flats. Since a scale has 7 notes: From 1 up to max 7 notes can be raised: 1 – 7 sharp (1#, 2#, 3#, 4#, 5#, 6#, 7#) From 1 up to max 7 notes can be lowered: 1 – 7 flats (1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b, 7b) There is one major scale that has no sharps or flats. You already learned that scale: the C major scale. This adds up to 15 possible key signatures. A key signature tells for its corresponding major scale, how many notes that scale is different from the C major scale (the scale that consists of white keys only). The order of sharps and the order of flats. Memorize following lines: The order of sharps F# C# G# D# A# E# B# The order of flats. Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb F(b) Notice how the order of #’s is the order of b’s backwards, and vice versa. The sharps go up in 5ths. The flats go down in 5ths. This sequence in 5ths is the result of the cycle of 5ths, which is covered in a later chapter. What does this mean: “order of…”? You want to memorize both these lines, because you will be using them to figure out and to memorize what the notes are in all 12 major scales. Now, the “order of sharps” means that the sharps always happen in that order: A scale that has 1 #, that note is F# A scale that has 2#’s, these notes are F# and C# A scale that has 3#’s, these notes are F#, C# and G#, And so on. Author's Bio : Vreny, is a patient and an enthusiastic teacher in California. With 17 years of teaching experience, he offers the best guitar lessons in california. His life's goal has been to make the world a fun place to live in, sharing his love for music through education.
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