The Key of Awesome
Have you ever been working on a song and wondered, hmm what key is this piece in? Knowing the key that a song is in also known as the key signature can be helpful, especially if you are looking for a recording or accompaniment for the song. Depending on the song there might be all sorts of different versions and transpositions out there.
With a few simple strategies I’m going to help you identify the key that your song is in as well as identify the various sharps and flats in each different key signature. Let’s get started!
What is a key signature?
A key signature refers to the number of sharps or flats placed after a clef in music. The key signature is a a visual representation of the key.
What does the key signature mean?
It means that different keys need to include different sharps or flats in order for the key to work properly.
In G major we see the sharp symbol on the top line of the staff in the Treble Clef and fourth line in the Bass Clef. These notes are both F which means that in the key of G Major you will play an F sharp instead of an F.
In this example the key of G major has one sharp and that sharp is F#. This will always be displayed like this in the particular clef. The key signature always looks the same so we can easily identify it.
In the Key of F Major there is a flat symbol on the third line of the staff in the Treble Clef and the second line in the Bass Clef. These notes are both B which means that in the key of F Major you will play a Bb instead of a B.
Why does this matter?
Apart from being able to compare different versions of the song it’s helpful to know the key signature for a number of reasons.
First of all it helps us to know whether it’s in a major or minor key. Major keys tend to sound happier, brighter and are more joyful whereas minor keys tend to sound more melancholy, dark and even spooky.
If you are able to play the vocal line on the piano or any other instrument to practice then you now know if there are any sharps or flats required in the key. It’s by no means necessary to know how to play the piano in order to sing but it’s certainly a great tool for plucking out your notes. I use the piano when I’m teaching but I also use it when I’m practicing my singing, particularly when I’m learning a new piece.
Did you know I also teach beginner Piano lessons?
So How do I figure out what key I’m in?
I promise we’ll get to that shortly. First I need to introduce to you the order of sharps and flats.
The order of sharps (#) is FCGDAEB. You might have noticed that the order of flats (b) BEADGCF are the reverse of the order of sharps. This is a common mnemonic device to help us remember the letters. Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle (sharps). Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles Father (flats). It’s important to know the order because this is the order in which they will always appear on the staff and in the key signature.
Okay that’s cool but please just tell me how to figure out what key I’m in!
Alright, you win. Here goes. There are a couple ways to do this. You could simply memorize the key signature chart that I’m going to include in this post. But I’d much prefer to teach you how to figure this out on your own.
Give someone a fish and they’ll eat for a day. Teach someone to fish and they’ll eat for a lifetime.
How to figure out what key you’re in
First identify if there are any sharps or flats in the key signature
If there are no sharps or flats congratulations, you’re work is done and the key is C Major
C Major is the only key that doesn’t have any sharps or flats
Sharps
Refer to the order of Sharps (Father, Charles, Goes, Down, And, Ends, Battle)
Identify the final sharp on the staff (furthest to the right)
Go up one semitone from the last sharp on the staff and that is the key you are in
If given the key but not the signature go down one semitone and that will give you the last sharp in the order
Eg. D Major - go down one semitone - C# - count the order of sharps and stop on C# - F# (Father) C# (Charles)
Therefore the key of D Major has an F# and a C# in it (Father, Charles)
Example - D Major
The final sharp is C# -
Go up one semitone from C# you get D
Therefore the key is D Major
D Major has F# and C# in it
Flats
Refer to the order of Flats (Battle, Ends, And, Down, Goes, Charles, Father)
Identify the second last flat (second furthest to the right) and that is the key that you are in
If given the key but not the signature find the key in the order of flats (Bb major, Battle)
Go to the order of flats and go one further in the order than the key you are in
Eg. Bb major - find Bb (Battle) in the order of flats - count the flats and go one further - Bb (Battle) Eb (Ends)
Therefore the Key of Bb major has a Bb and an Eb in it (Battle, Ends)
Example - Bb Major
The second last flat is Bb
Therefore the key is Bb major
Bb Major has Bb and Eb in it
I’ve also included a handy dandy Key Signature guide that you can use as a reference. It features a chart that includes all of the different key signatures. Also, if you’re curious about the minor keys in the chart I’ll be doing a part two to this blog post discussing minor keys and their relationship to the major keys.
So there you have it, now you know what a Key Signature is and what that means for your music. Try it yourself! Why not see if you can figure out what key a song you are working on is in? Please let me know if you have any questions about this guide, key signatures or music theory in general. I love answering questions!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. It means a lot to me. If you would like to hear more from me then I encourage you to subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on social media.
I look forward to seeing you in the studio and online!
Sincerely,
Adam
