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If the Key Signature Has

The Music Is in the Key of

1 sharp
F

1 flat

2 sharps

2 flats B flat

3 sharps

3 flats E flat

4 sharps

4 flats

5 flats, 7 sharps

C sharp/D flat

6 flats, 6 sharps

F sharp/G flat

7 flats, 5 sharps

B/C flat

A flat

The circle of fifths shows the major keys on the outside


of the circle and the minor keys on the in
The circle of fifths shows the major keys on the outside
of the circle and the minor keys on the inside of the
circle.

At the top you have the key of C major, which has no


sharps or flats in its key signature. Each stop on the
Circle as you go down clockwise from C is a key with
one more sharp than the previous key. Each stop as
you go down counter-clockwise from C is a key with
one more flat than the previous key.

Sharps and flats are always added in a specific order


that is linked to the circle of fifths. Flats are always
added in this order: B, E, A, D, G, C, F. Sharps are
added in the reverse order: F, C, G, D, A, E, B. Because
of the regularity of sharps and flats and of the circle of
fiths, if you don't have the circle of fifths memorized
and don't have a picture of it handy, there are two
simple tricks one for sharps and one for flats that
you can use to figure out which major key to play in:

Sharps: Sharps always appear in the same order in a


key signature. To figure out which major key you're in,
look at the last sharp in the key signature. If it's on a
line, go up to the next step; if it's a space, go up to the
next line. That's what key you're in. For example, if you
have four sharps F#, C#, G#, and D# look to the
last sharp D#. If you go up to the next note, you
find what key you're in: E major.

Flats: Flats are even easier to figure out. Like


sharps, they always appear in the same order. The
next-to-last flat in the key signature is the name of the
key you're playing in. For example, if you have five
flats Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb you just look at the nextto-last flat: you're in Db major. You will, though, just
have to remember that if the key signature has only
one flat (Bb), you're in F major.

Scales and Key Signatures


Our Flash Keyboard can help your understanding of
this area.

Here is a list of all the topic on this page:

Scales
Transposition
Key Signatures
Modes
Solfeggio

The fourth note is the subdominant. The fifth note is


the dominant. The submediant is the sixth note. The
subtonic is the seventh note in the natural minor scale.
The seventh tone of the major, harmonic and melodic
minor scales is called the leading tone if it is one half
step lower than the tonic.
The Major Scale

The major scale consists of seven different pitches.


There are half steps between the third and fourth and
seventh and eighth scale degrees; whole steps exist
between all other steps. Below is a the C major scale.
The pattern of whole and half steps is the same for all
major scales. By changing the first note, then using
the pattern as a guide, you can construct any major
scale. Likewise, if you know the pattern for any other
scale, you can create them, too.

Scales
The Major Scale
A scale is a group of pitches (scale degrees) arranged
in ascending order. These pitches span an octave.
Diatonic scales are scales that include half and whole
steps. The first and last note is the tonic. It is the most
'stable' note, or rather the easiest to find. Because of
this, diatonic melodies often end on the diatonic note.
The other notes in the scale also have names. The
second note is the supertonic. The third is the
mediant, halfway between the tonic and dominant.

The Natural Minor Scales

These scales have seven different scale degrees. There


are half steps between the second and third and the
fifth and sixth degrees; whole steps exist between all
other steps. Shown below is the A minor scale.

Pentatonic Scales
A Natural Minor Scale
The Harmonic Minor Scale

This scale is the same as the natural minor scale,


except the seventh step is raised a half step. There is
now an interval of one half step between the seventh
and eighth notes, and one and a half steps between
the sixth and seventh notes. This is a harmonic A
minor.

A Harmonic Minor Scale


The Melodic Minor Scale

This is another minor scale variation. In this scale, the


sixth and seventh notes are each raised one half step.
All the patterns to this point have been the same as
one climbs and descends the scales. The melodic
minor scale, however, ascends with the modifications
noted above, but descends in the natural minor scale.
This is a melodic A minor.

A Melodic Minor Scale

Pentatonic scales, as their name suggests, have only


five notes. To get from one end of the scale to the
other, they require gaps of more than a half step.

Scales that do not follow the interval patterns of the


diatonic or pentatonic scales are called nondiatonic
scales. Many nondiatonic scales have no identifiable
tonic.

The chromatic scale is a nondiatonic scale that


consists of half steps only. Because each pitch is
equidistant, there is no tonic. A whole tone scale is
comprised of whole steps. Like the chromatic scale, it
too has no tonic. The blues scale is a chromatic variant
of the major scale. This scale contains flat thirds and
sevenths which , alternate with normal thirds and
sevenths. This , alternating creates the blues
inflection.
Transposition

Scale patterns can be duplicated at any pitch.


Rewriting the same scale pattern at a different pitch is
called transposition. Thus, if you used the major scale

pattern, but started at G, you would just have to count


up according to the major scale pattern to transpose it.
All the notes of a piece can be modified in this way, by
finding a note's counterpart in the modified scale.

Since some notes will always be sharp once


transposed or in certain scales, it is sometimes helpful
to place accidentals at the very beginning of a piece in
order to modify all the notes of a certain pitch. Placing
accidentals at the beginning of the music (as opposed
to right beside a note) allows the accidentals to affect
every note in the entire piece. So, placing a sharp on
line F makes every F sharp. The arrangement of sharps
and flats at the beginning of a piece of music is called
a key signature.
Key Signatures
To help understand and remember key signatures, a
chart called the circle of fifths can be used. On the
outside are the major key names, separated by fifths.
On the inside are the corresponding minor key names.
In the middle is the number and position of the sharps
or flats.
Circle of Fifths
There is a little trick to figuring out a key signature's
name. When confronted with a key signature that
consists of flats, look at the flat second from the far
right. This flat is on the line or space the key signature

is named after. One flat is F, since you can't go to the


next -to-last flat. To find the name of a key signature
with sharps, look at the sharp farthest to the right. The
key signature is the note a half step above that last
sharp.

Key signatures can specify major or minor keys. To


determine the name of a minor key, find the name of
the key in major and then count backwards three half
steps. Remember that sharps and flats affect names.
Modes

In the middle ages, modes were used to organize the


melodic and harmonic parts of music. From the 17th
century until the 19th century, modes were not used
as widely. Modes in this time were replaced by the
major and minor scales. Modes, however, are still
heard in contemporary music. Modes, created mainly
by the churches, were the basis for most of western
music. Curiously, in modes, the beginning tone is
called the final, as opposed to the tonic as in other
diatonic scales.
Table of Modes Name
Steps Are Between

Range
Final Half
Similar Scale

Dorian
D to D
D
2-3, 6-7
minor scale with raised sixth degree

Natural

Phrygian
E to E E
1-2, 5-6
scale with lowered second degree

Natural minor

The final of the Mixolydian mode is always the fifth


degree of a major scale.

Lydian
F to F F
raised fourth degree

Major scale with

The final of the Aeolian mode is always the sixth


degree of a major scale.

4-5, 7-8

Mixolydian G to G
G
3-4, 6-7
scale with lowered seventh degree

Major

Aeolian
A to A
natural minor scale

2-3, 5-6

Same as

Ionian
C to C
major scale

3-4, 7-8

Same as

Locrian
B to B
B
1-2, 4-5
Natural
minor with a lowered second and fifth degree.
Modes may begin on any tone as long as the
arrangements of half and whole steps remain the
same. The identity of a transposed mode can be
quickly determined since the final of each mode lies in
the same relationship to the tonic of the major with the
same key signature.

The final of the Ionian mode is always the first


degree of a major scale.
Locrian modes are rarely used.

Solfeggio
Often, solfeggio is used to help with practicing. The
solfeggio syllables are associated with the notes in a
given scale. The syllable Do (pronounced dough, or
doe), corresponds to the tonic. The next syllable (in
ascending order) is Re (say 'ray'). Re corresponds to
the supertonic. Mi (say 'me') is the next syllable. Mi
corresponds to the mediant. Fa (long a) comes next,
corresponding to the subdominant. Sol (say 'so') is the
syllable that corresponds to the dominant. La (long a)
is the syllable that corresponds to the submediant. Ti
(say 'tea') corresponds to the leading tone.

The final of the Dorian mode is always the second


degree of the major scale.
The final of the Phrygian mode is always the third
degree of a major scale.
The final of the Lydian mode is always the fourth
degree of a major scale.

Solfeggio hand signs

Do is the fist sign again.


The table above shows the hand signs that correspond
to the solfeggio syllables. The hand signs start with the
lower tonic at about waist level. Each successive hand
sign is a little higher than the last. The second tonic
ends a little above eye level.
Solfeggio is a good practice tool. Since it is fairly
generic, it can be used with a variety of scales.
Pentatonic scales consists of five tones, and therefore
Fa and Ti aren't used.
This table shows the solfeggio syllables and
corresponding hand signs in descending order.

There are also solfeggio accidentals. These accidentals


are shown and listed in the chart below.

Do - a fist that is held straight.


Ti is index finger pointing up and the thumb and
middle ring finger and pinkie are all touching (the
same as for sign language T).
La is all four fingers and thumb facing the ground and
the wrist is bent down as well.

Di is the accidental above Do. To make Di, make the


fist for Do and lift the wrist up.

Sol is the thumb facing the ceiling the rest of the hand
is out straight.
Fa is a thumbs down.
Mi is the hand held flat.
Re is a flat hand help up straight out and then raised
to about a 30 degree angle. Both Mi and Re have palm
side down.

Ri is the accidental between Re and Mi. Ri looks just


like Re, but the pointer finger in Ri is lifted away from
the other fingers.

Si is an open hand, palm towards the chest and the


wrist tilted up. Si is between Sol and La

Fi is between Fa and Sol. Fi is a thumbs up.

Ta is like Ti, but the finger is pointed down. Ta is


between La and Ti.

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