Key Signatures

SonnyBlack

SonnyBlack

Versatile
As far as key signatures go for a measure, say your signature is an A Major, and you have scored your G on both of the lines for the G ( this is on a Treble staff) would all of the corresponding notes of G, unless notated, become a G#? Or would only the ones that fell on the G that is in the key signature?

I am really trying to understand music fully, beyond just putting sound on sound to make it sound good. If I worded the question horribly I apologize in advanced.

- Sonny Black
 
It will state it on the flats ( b) or sharps ( # ) That are right after the time signature and treble clef nomsayin?
 
I know that, but what I'm asking is will it correlate to the notes on a different instance of the same note (i.e G has 2 lines on a treble clef) ?
 
SonnyBlack said:
I know that, but what I'm asking is will it correlate to the notes on a different instance of the same note (i.e G has 2 lines on a treble clef) ?
Click to expand...
Yes.
If your key signature is three sharps (A major/f# minor), that means every instance of f, c, and g in the piece will be sharp unless otherwise stated.
For example, if my key signature was 3 flats (Eb maj/c minor), and I wrote a note on the first line of the treble clef and another note on the space an octave higher in the treble clef, both notes should be presumed to be an Eb, unless the composer has stated otherwise by adding an accidental by the note.
 
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Thanks pumpthrust, that is what I thought should occur, just the text wasn't too clear on this, so I figured I would ask and get confirmation from those that knew, rather than risking a google search.

- Sonny Black
 
the G that is on the second line from the bottom is not the only G available in the treble clef: in the space below the second leger line below the staff is another G, in the space above the top line of the treble clef staff, on the 4th leger line above the staff is another G

If your key signature, which must come before the time signature, JimbaFrosty, says that there is a G#, all G's are sharp unless you place a natural or flat sign in front (you could also place a double flat in front or a double sharp in front)

In general a key signature says the following no matter what:

This note is always (one of the few absolutes in music) sharp or always flat unless (there is the get out of gaol free) the individual note is preceded by a natural or other accidental sign


Language use
Accidental = any altered note (not a white key note/natural note)
staff = the five lines on which we write music
leger = light or temporary line added to extend the staff up or down

The set of commonly used accidental signs
accidentals.png
 
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Ok, say I go to a minor key that has many sharps or many flats
- D# harmonic minor is one
-- the notes are D#-E#-F#-G#-A#-B-Cx-D#
- it's enharmonic equivalent (same notes new names) is Eb harmonic minor
-- the notes are now Eb-F-Gb-Ab-Bb-Cb-D-Eb
- G# harmonic minor is another one
-- the notes are G#-A#-B-C#-D#-E-Fx-G#

Why do I use the x in both instances? I need to maintain the one note name per scale idea that flows through the naming of all scales and notes within them, e.g I would never write
F-G-A-A#-C-D-E-F for F major, but rather
F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F, giving me one of each the note name letters A-B-C-D-E-F-G with qualification of altered tones to maintain the scale structure TTSTTTS (the octave repetition is not the same as repeating the note name with different qualifiers (accidentals)

In the main, we use the double sharps and flats to allow us to use notes that fall within the key or outside of the key without having to introduce too many new notes that may require more naturals than would otherwise be useful - it eases the burden of reading notes and cluttering the page in real situations of reading

Ax = B
Bx = C#
Cx = D
Dx = E
Ex = F#
Fx = G
Gx = A

Abb = G
Bbb = A
Cbb = Bb
Dbb = C
Ebb = D
Fbb = Eb
Gbb = F
 
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