Reading Music · Chapter 8 of 12

Key Signatures

Instead of writing the same sharp or flat again and again, music puts them once at the start of every line: the key signature.

Right after the clef, at the start of every line, you may see a few sharps or flats. That’s the key signature. It means: play these notes sharp (or flat) everywhere, in every octave, for the whole piece, unless a natural sign says otherwise.

The sharp on the top line is F♯. So every F in this music, high or low, is played as F♯, even though no sharp appears next to the notes. Turn on Letter names to check.

Always in the same order

Sharps and flats in a key signature always appear in a fixed order, so a key signature with two sharps always has the same two.

Sharps: F C G D A E B

One sharp is always F♯. Two sharps are F♯ and C♯, and so on. A saying to help: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle.

Flats: B E A D G C F

The same letters backward. One flat is always B♭; two flats are B♭ and E♭. The first four spell BEAD, or say Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father.

All seven sharps, in order. Each clef places them on its own lines and spaces, but the order never changes.

All seven flats: B E A D G C F.

Naming the key

A key signature tells you the key of the music: the home note that it settles on. Two quick rules for major keys:

Sharps

Look at the last sharp (the one furthest right). The key is a half step higher. Last sharp C♯, one half step up is D: D major.

Flats

The second-to-last flat names the key. B♭ E♭ A♭: the second-to-last is E♭, so E♭ major. Just one flat? That’s F major; learn that one by heart.

No sharps or flats at all means C major.

Sharps	Major key	Minor key	Flats	Major key	Minor key
none	C	A minor	1: B♭	F	D minor
1: F♯	G	E minor	2: B♭ E♭	B♭	G minor
2: + C♯	D	B minor	3: + A♭	E♭	C minor
3: + G♯	A	F♯ minor	4: + D♭	A♭	F minor
4: + D♯	E	C♯ minor	5: + G♭	D♭	B♭ minor
5: + A♯	B	G♯ minor	6: + C♭	G♭	E♭ minor
6: + E♯	F♯	D♯ minor	7: + F♭	C♭	A♭ minor
7: + B♯	C♯	A♯ minor

Major and minor share signatures

Every key signature belongs to two keys: a major key and its relative minor, which starts three half steps lower. One sharp is G major or E minor; no sharps or flats is C major or A minor. To tell which, look at the music itself: a piece in E minor usually leans on E and often ends on it.

The key signature is placed a little differently in each clef, so the sharps and flats land on the right notes. Here are D major (two sharps) and E♭ major (three flats) on the grand staff:

D major: F♯ and C♯ in both clefs.

E♭ major: B♭, E♭ and A♭ in both clefs.

Remember

The key signature applies to every note with that letter, in every octave, all piece long.
Order of sharps: F C G D A E B. Order of flats: B E A D G C F.
Sharps: last sharp + half step = the key. Flats: second-to-last flat = the key. One flat = F.
Each signature also fits a minor key, three half steps lower.