Key Signatures
What Determines The Quality And
Quantity Of A Song's NotesWhen watching musicians play piano, you
may see them refer to a piece of
music in the key of "A" or "C." These letters refer to the key
that the music is played in or its key signature.
Key signatures are what determines the quality and quantity of a
song's sharps and flats, and if you've spent any time playing
scales, then you have a pretty good idea
of what we're talking about.
When you're asked to play a "C
sharp" chord or "G flat" chord for example, you're being asked to play a
group of notes in a particular key. The root key is what determines the
remaining keys in a chord and so it is with music. The key signature of
a piece of music may be "C sharp" or "G flat" (or any other pitch) and
that signature determines the remaining pitches throughout the entire
song.All Key Signatures Contain Sharps And FlatsNow except for
the C Major key, all key signatures contain sharps and flats. Because
music notation can be rather intricate and confusing -- especially in
difficult pieces -- you won't see the sharp or flat indicator next to
each individual note. This would make
sheet music difficult to write and
read. Instead, writers use the key
signature to indicate the sharps or flats of a note and it's up to the
pianist to know (memorize) those sharps and flats.
Those with Sharps:
- The sharp in a G key signature is F#.
- The sharps in a D key signature is F# and C#.
- In an A key signature, they're F#, C#, and G#.
- In the key of E, they're F#, C#, G#, and D#.
- F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, and E# are played in an F# key signature
- In the key of B, F#, C#, G#, D#, A#
- While the entire group of F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, and B# are
played in a
C# key signature.
C
Key Signature example on the Treble Staff...Apply to the same notes
on the Bass staff
Those with Flats:
- The flat in an F key signature is Bb.
- The flats in a Bb key signature is Bb and Eb.
- In an Eb key signature, they're Bb, Eb, and Ab.
- In the key of Ab, they're Bb, Eb, Ab, and Db.
- Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, and Gb are played in an Db key signature
- While the entire group of Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, and Cb are played
in a
Gb key signature.
- Can you tell what notes the Cb key signature indicates?
Pat yourself on the back if you said Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, and Fb.
C
Key Signature example on the Treble Staff...Apply to the same notes
on the Bass staff
Position = PitchYou can find the key signature of a song near
the beginning of its notation -- right after the clef. Pay close
attention to where the sharp and flat signs are located because their
positions indicate the proper tones of particular pitches. If you see a
sharp sign in the space where the D note is played, that means that the
D key will be a sharp D all throughout a song. If you see a flat sign on
the line where the B key is played, that means the B key will be a flat
B throughout the song as well. This pattern is of course repeated for
each and every note.
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