Major Key Signatures

Major Key Signatures

What is a key signature?

Where do we find it?

What does it tell us?

How do we create it?

How is it different from a key?

What is a Key?

• The Key, is the group of pitches, or scale that forms the basis of a music composition

• The piece of music you see here is written in the key of Bb major.

• This piece resolves around the 7 notes of the Bb Major Scale: Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A

• This means that the fundamental notes making up the song's melody, chords, and baseline are all derived from that group of notes.

• The root of the key acts as the center of the key

• The root is the first note, also called the tonic. Think of it as earth, and gravity is constantly pulling all the notes to it

What is a Key Signature?

• A collection of every accidental found in a scale

D Major Scale

• This is the D major scale

• We know this because it starts on D and the pattern of intervals is that of a major scale

Example 2

• If we were to write a piece of music in the key of D Major, this would require us to put a sharp sign next to every F and every C in the piece

• This would become very annoying as a composer and a piece that has a lot of sharps or flats would look very messy

D Major Key Signature

• By placing the sharps and flats at the beginning of the piece, it lets the performer know which notes to raise or lower for the whole piece

• Therefore, this image represents the accidentals in the key (scale) of D major and is called the D Major key signature

Placement

• The Key signature is always after the clef

• Remember it is alphabetical order

• Clef, Key, Time

• It is placed on every staff within the piece for the whole piece

Order of Flats

• You may have noticed that the letters (pitches) in a key signature are always in the same order

B, E, A, D, G, C, F

This is called the order of Flats

Mnemonic Device

• Create a sentence where each word starts with the order of the flats

• BEAD Greatest Common Factor

• BEAD Gives Chocolate Freely

• Before Eating A Doughnut Get Coffee First

Let's answer a few questions.

What do you remember?

Multiple Choice

If you are going to add a flat to the key signature, which flat has to be first?

• G

• E

• D

• A

• B

Multiple Choice

Which is the fourth flat that can be added in a flat key signature?

• A

• D

• E

• C

• F

Multiple Choice

Which is the LAST flat I can add in the order of FLATS?

• D

• A

• F

• C

• B

Multiple Choice

Which is the correct order of Flats?

• B, E, A, D, G, C, F

• B, E, A, G, D, C, F

• B, E, D, A, G, C, F

• B, E, G, D, E, F, A

Multiple Choice

When writing in a key signature where do we put it?

• After the time signature

• Before the clef

• After the clef, but before the time signature

• Wherever we want

Identify the flats

• Go to the very last flat in the key signature

• Then go back one, this is the name of your key

Cover up the last Flat

You are left with Bb, this is the key signature for Bb major.

F Major

F Major only has one flat, so you just have to memorize this one.

Your Turn!

Try to identify the flat key signatures

Multiple Choice

What iis the name of this key signature?

• Bb

• F

• Db

• Ab

• Gb

Multiple Choice

What is the name of this key signature?

• F

• Bb

• Eb

• Ab

• Db

Multiple Choice

What is the name of this key signature?

• Ab

• Eb

• Bb

• F

• Cb

Multiple Choice

What is the name of this key signature?

• Bb

• F

• Ab

• Gb

• Db

The Order of Sharps

Just like the order of flats, the order sharps has are specific as well.

F, C, G, D, A, E, B

The Order of Sharps

Think of your own mnemonic device for sharps.

For Credit Give Dopey Another Easy Book

Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds

Father Christmas Gave Dad An Electric Blanket

Multiple Choice

The third sharp in the order of sharps is which?

• G

• C

• F

• D

Multiple Choice

Which is the fifth sharp in the order of sharps?

• F

• A

• B

• C

Multiple Choice

Which is the correct order of sharps?

• F, G, C, D, E, A, B

• F, C, G, D, A, E, B

• F, D, C, E, A, D, B

• F, C, C, E, D, E, B

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of a key signature?

• To make life harder

• To make music reading easier

Sharps

• To identify, go to the last sharp in the key signature and go up half a step

What is the Key?

The last sharp is D#, a half step up from D sharp is E. This is the key signature of E Major.

Multiple Choice

What is the name of this key signature?

• C

• D

• G

• A

Multiple Choice

What is the name of this key signature?

• C

• G

• B

• D

Multiple Choice

What is the name of this key signature?

• Db

• F#

• B

• C#

Multiple Choice

What is the name of this key signature?

• F#

• Gb

• D

• B

Open Ended

What did you notice about the order of sharps vs. the order of flats?