Beginner Question: About Major Key Signatures

T

Tohtruck

Guest
I have a test tomorrow in my music theory class. One of the topics is figuring out key signatures for the major keys. My memory is $hit. I was wondering if anyone knew a quick and efficient trick or some sort of method to figuring out the key signatures for the major keys.

I think I've figured out a method but I'm not sure yet if it works, and I wanted to see if anyone has tips on this.

Thanks
 
You will need to remember which keys have flats and which have sharps, and you have to remember the order they go on the staff. Sharps go FCGDAEB or Funny Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Bugs. Flats go BEADGCF (the exact opposite) or BEAD and Gold Covered Floors. There are other mnemonics for them, but these are the ones I know. My wife just informed me that it could also be Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle, and Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father.

Next, for keys that have sharps, the last sharp in the signature is the leading tone to the key. For example, A major has F#, C# and G#, because G# is the leading tone to A.

For flats, the second last flat is the same as the key. For example, Ab major has Bb, Eb, Ab and Db.

After you get past these in the circle of 5ths, and get into double sharps/flats, these rules still apply, but they aren't easily remembered. Anyway, this should help. Good luck on your test!
 
They sharp keys move in a circle of fifths. The flat keys move in a circle of fourths. So you can just count from C/F to progress through the key signatures in sequence.

C -
G - #
D - ##
A - ###
E - ####
B - #####
F - b
Bb - bb
Eb - bbb
Ab - bbbb
Db - bbbbb
Gb - bbbbbb

Hope that helps.
 
Tohtruck said:
I have a test tomorrow in my music theory class. One of the topics is figuring out key signatures for the major keys. My memory is $hit. I was wondering if anyone knew a quick and efficient trick or some sort of method to figuring out the key signatures for the major keys.

I think I've figured out a method but I'm not sure yet if it works, and I wanted to see if anyone has tips on this.

Thanks
Click to expand...
If the key signature has sharps in it, you would go up a half step from the last sharp. Example, F# in the key signature, go up a half step than, which would be G. The key would be G Major. If the key signature was F# & C#, go up a half step from C#, the key would be D Major. For flats in the key sig,let's say Bb major, that's Bb& Eb, the second to the last flat would identify the key sig, in this case, it would b Bb major because Bb is the second to the last flat.
 
Kool, thanx for everyone's help. Yeah my teacher showed me that trick C-Lovely, thanx for posting tho. I worked out a system for writing the signatures and it worked like a charm. Got all the Key Sig questions right.

-One n a half
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top