Image – excerpt Bb major – starts ends on Bb major Next look at the start / end chords – since most music starts and ends on the root chord of the scale: So to establish whether the music is major or minor, first identify the key – the major AND minor scale that the music could be in. In a music theory exam you might be asked to identify whether an excerpt of music is major or relative minor – just by looking at the manuscript. However some styles (classical) tend to stick to one or the other – major or minor. Most music these days (pop) sways back and forth between sounding major and relative minor, every few bars ( covered in lesson 5 of The Musical Ear course). In Key sig 6, the last sharp is D# – which means the key is E major – AND – C# minor (down a minor 3rd from E). In Key sig 5, the last flat is Eb – which means the key is Bb major – AND – G minor (down a minor 3rd from Bb). TEST YOURSELFīefore reading on, which major AND minor scales do the following 2 key signatures represent? So if the key signature represents G major – then it also represents E minor (a minor 3rd below G). To find the relative minor scale, count down a minor 3rd from the major scale’s root: So once you’ve identified the major scale, you still need to identify the relative minor scale – since the music could also be minor. Every key signature represents BOTH a major scale, and a minor scale – called ‘relative major and minor scales’. Relative Major / Minor Scalesīut we’re not yet finished. In Key sig 4, the last flat is Cb – which means the key is Gb major (an extreme example, but still correct). In Key sig 3, the last flat is Ab – which means the key is Eb major. – So if Bb is the last flat – the key is F major (just count down a 4th to find the major scale’s root).īefore reading on, which major scales do the following 2 key signatures represent? In Key sig 1, the last sharp is A# – which means the key is B major. In Key sig 1, the last sharp is C# – which means the key is D major. – So if F# is the last sharp – then the key is G major (just count up a half-step from the last sharp):īefore reading on, which major scales do the following 2 key signatures represent? Look for the last sharp listed (furthest to the right). Here’s how I identify key signatures quickly: Sharp keys:
#MUSIC KEYS NUMBER HOW TO#
Instead I’d rather show you how to build any key from scratch – so that you never worry about forgetting. I don’t suggest memorizing the unique sharp / flat combinations for all keys (although you’ll start to remember most of them after a while). In most cases this includes a number of black notes (called ‘accidentals’), which can be spelt using sharps OR flats – but never both. There’s 12 major scales which exist, and each has a unique set of notes. You can identify which key a piece of music is in just by looking at this display of accidentals (plus a few other factors in the music). To minimize the number of sharp / flat signs in the music, a composer starts the piece with a ‘key signature’ – which is a display of sharps or flats which remain in effect throughout the music:
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