KEY SIGNATURES
Like everything else in music a key signature is a way of telling you something about the music by use of symbols so that you don't have to write it out in full each time.
So for example if you write a piece of music based on a G scale all the notes in the piece that are F will be F sharps rather than F natural (unless proceeded by an accidental to say otherwise),
Now you could write at the top of the music 'please play all the F's sharp, regardless of whether they are the Fon the bottom space or top line or any other F, unless I have put a natural symbol in front of it'. However, that is long winded and you might want to change to a key where all the B's are flat instead half way through and you don't want to stop the music to write such a long description. If a musician was playing a piece they hadn't played before and got to that they would lose their place in the music because it would take too long to read. So these instructions are written as a symbol that can be instantly recognised with a bit of practice and you will soon find you can easily swap from one key signature to another.
There are 12 different major key signatures because there are 12 different notes and major scales associated with them and they are shown below. You should note that if a key signature has for example sharps in it the first one will always be F, the second if there is one will be C and the third if there is one will be G and so on. You won't get a key signature that shows just A as a sharp or with G and D say. This is because the major key signatures each relate to a major scale. If you are playing a D major scale for example you will need to play F and C sharp to make the scale sound correct. There are no major scales that sound correct just playing an A sharp or just with a G and D sharp.
If you wish to know what a major scale sounds like play a C on your recorder and then D, E, F, G, A, B and C all natural notes, no sharps or flats. This is the only major scale with all natural notes. Or if you can have a try on a piano, starting at C (see the notes on a piano tab to the left if you are not sure how to locate a C) and just playing white notes either up or down until you hit the next C. Once you recognise the sound you will find you can start on a different note and go up in naturals until you hit a note that just doesn't sound right and then you could work out whether it should be a semitone lower - flat or higher - sharp. Or alternatively see the tab to the left on Scales which has information on all the major scales (and lots of others).
So for example if you write a piece of music based on a G scale all the notes in the piece that are F will be F sharps rather than F natural (unless proceeded by an accidental to say otherwise),
Now you could write at the top of the music 'please play all the F's sharp, regardless of whether they are the Fon the bottom space or top line or any other F, unless I have put a natural symbol in front of it'. However, that is long winded and you might want to change to a key where all the B's are flat instead half way through and you don't want to stop the music to write such a long description. If a musician was playing a piece they hadn't played before and got to that they would lose their place in the music because it would take too long to read. So these instructions are written as a symbol that can be instantly recognised with a bit of practice and you will soon find you can easily swap from one key signature to another.
There are 12 different major key signatures because there are 12 different notes and major scales associated with them and they are shown below. You should note that if a key signature has for example sharps in it the first one will always be F, the second if there is one will be C and the third if there is one will be G and so on. You won't get a key signature that shows just A as a sharp or with G and D say. This is because the major key signatures each relate to a major scale. If you are playing a D major scale for example you will need to play F and C sharp to make the scale sound correct. There are no major scales that sound correct just playing an A sharp or just with a G and D sharp.
If you wish to know what a major scale sounds like play a C on your recorder and then D, E, F, G, A, B and C all natural notes, no sharps or flats. This is the only major scale with all natural notes. Or if you can have a try on a piano, starting at C (see the notes on a piano tab to the left if you are not sure how to locate a C) and just playing white notes either up or down until you hit the next C. Once you recognise the sound you will find you can start on a different note and go up in naturals until you hit a note that just doesn't sound right and then you could work out whether it should be a semitone lower - flat or higher - sharp. Or alternatively see the tab to the left on Scales which has information on all the major scales (and lots of others).
KEY OF C
Unless any accidentals are marked play all the notes natural.
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KEY OF G
Unless any accidentals are marked play all the notes natural except any F's, which wherever they are on the music, should be played sharp. This is why the sharp symbol is on the F line at the top of the stave.
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KEY OF F
Unless any accidentals are marked play all the notes natural exdept any B's, which regardless of which B, low or high, should be played Flat. You will note the flat symbol on the middle line of the stave which is where the B's are found.
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KEY OF D
Play all F's and C's Sharp.
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KEY OF B FLAT
Play all B's and E's flat.
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KEY OF A
Play all F's, C's and G's Sharp.
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KEY OF E FLAT
Play all B's, E's and A's flat.
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KEY OF E
Play all F's, C's, G's and D's sharp.
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KEY OF A FLAT
Play all B's, E's, A's and D's flat.
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KEY OF B
Play all F's, C's, G's, D's and A's Sharp.
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KEY OF D FLAT
Play all B's, E's, A's, D's and G's flat.
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KEY OF F SHARP / G FLAT
These two last key signatures may look different and have different names but they actually come out the same. The notes you would play provided there are no accidentals are:
Fsharp scale: C SHARP - D SHARP - E SHARP - F SHARP - G SHARP - A SHARP - B
G flat scale: D FLAT - E FLAT - F - G FLAT - A FLAT - B FLAT - C FLAT
If you compare each note in the F sharp scale with the note in the G flat scale written below it you will see that they are in fact the same.
Fsharp scale: C SHARP - D SHARP - E SHARP - F SHARP - G SHARP - A SHARP - B
G flat scale: D FLAT - E FLAT - F - G FLAT - A FLAT - B FLAT - C FLAT
If you compare each note in the F sharp scale with the note in the G flat scale written below it you will see that they are in fact the same.
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