Key Signatures Name______

Key Signature Sharps and flats placed immediately to the right of the clef sign are called the key signature. These symbols affect every note on that line or space throughout the entire song. It also affects any other note with the same pitch name (For example: All F's are sharp, not just the F's on the top line.

In the example below, every F is now raised a half step to F# because of the sharp in the key signature.

# œ œ ˙ & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Key of G: Gœ Aœ Bœ C D E F# G A B C D E F# G

Key signatures have names. To find the name of a sharp key signature: Count up one half-step from the last sharp (farthest to the right). In this example, the last sharp is on the "D" line. A half-step up from D# is "E", so the name of the key-signature is E Major. A song in the key signature of E Major uses the pitches of the E Major scale. The sharped pitches are F, C, G, and D.

# ## œ œ & # œ œ œ œ Key of E: œ œ E F# G# A B C# D# E

SHARP KEY SIGNATURES

7 # # ? # & B one sharp - Key of G Major

10 # # ? # & # B # # two sharps - Key of D Major

(continued on next page) 2 Key Signatures 13 # # # # ? # # & # B # # three sharps- Key of A Major

16 # # # # ? # & # # B # # ## # four sharps-Key of E Major

19 # ## # # ? # # & # # B # ## # ## five sharps-Key of B Major

22 # ## # # B # ## # ? # # # & # # # # ## six sharps-Key of F-sharp Major 25 # ## # # # # ? # # & # # # B # ## # # #### seven sharps-Key of C-sharp Major

Practice: Write the following sharp key signatures:

& Key of D Major Key of B Major

30 B Key of E Major Key of A Major

(continued on next page) Key Signatures 3

32 ? Key of G Major Key of F-sharp Major

FLAT KEY SIGNATURES

In the following example, every B and E are lowered a half-step because of the two flats in the key signature.

34 œ œ ˙ ? bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Key of Bb: Bbœ Cœ Dœ Eb F G A Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

To find the name of a flat key signature: It is the name of the second to last flat when there are two or more flats in the key signature. Or count down four letter names beginning with the last flat in the key signature. In the example below, (the key of Ab) Ab is the second to the last flat in the key signature. Or you could count down four letters from the last flat (Db) and end up on Ab. It would be called Ab Major, not A Major, because of the flat in the key signature.

38 ? œ œ œ bbbb œ œ œ œ œ Key of Ab: Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab

40 ? & b B b b one flat - Key of F Major

43 b ? & b B bb bb two flats - Key of B-flat Major

(continued on next page) 4 Key Signatures

46 b b ? & b b B b b bb three flats- Key of E-flat Major b

49 b b B b b ? b & b b b b b bb four flats-Key of A-flat Major

52 bb b B b b ? b b & b b b b b b b b five flats- Key of D-flat Major

55 bb b b B b b b ? b b & b b b b b b b bb six flats- Key of G-flat Major

58 b ? b bb b B bb b b b b b & b b b b b b b b b seven flats - Key of C-flat Major

Practice: Write the following flat key signatures

& Key of B-flat Major Key of E-flat Major

(continued on next page) Key Signatures 5

63 B Key of A-flat Major Key of F Major

65 ? Key of D-flat Major Key of G-flat Major

Mix and Match: Name the key signature

? # b 1.______2. ______

69 b # # B b b # 3. ______4. ______

71 # b b & # b b 5. ______6. ______

Bonus: Name the key signature that has no flats or sharps______