Keys Signatures – More Tips

Key Signatures – More useful tips

Did you know there are up to 30 key key signatures to memorize for music exams. Fortunately there is a way of calculating them all from knowing just seven. These are the major keys of the seven musical alphabet notes A-B-C-D-E-F-G and to help us do this we give these keys numeric values.

• A (major) has 3 sharps (sharps are positive) so the numeric value of A is [3] (or +3)
• B has 5 sharps so we remember B as [5] (+5)
• C  has no sharps or flats so we will call C  [0] (zero)
• D has 2 sharps so remember D as [2] (plus 2)
• E has 4 sharps so E becomes [4]
• F has one flat and as flats are negative we call F [-1]  (minus 1)
• G contains 1 sharp so G will be [1]

Now, here’s the clever bit…. So you know the key signature of C major but want to figure out Cb major. The trick is to subtract 7 from the number of the key you know. For example C major is 0 so take away 7 and we arrive at -7. The minus signifies flats so Cb major has 7 flats. GET IT!

If you want to know C# (major) then because C# is higher than C major (sharper) then we ADD 7 to arrive at seven sharps (which is the key signature of C# major)If you want to know Eb then work it out from the next nearest key signature you know with the same letter name. That’s E major which has 4 sharps. Now because Eb is  lower (flatter) than E then we subtract 7 giving a result of -3. So Eb has THREE flats.

Isn’t that so much better!