A Trick to Remembering Key Signatures with Sharps

There are a bunch of sharps, what does that mean?

So a key signature tells you what scale the piece of music is based on. When there is one sharp, you are in the key of G Major. But what about the key signatures with six sharps or no sharps or the one with three sharps? Here's a trick:

Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle. This is the order of sharps (Father=F sharp, Charles=C Sharp, Goes=G Sharp etc.). You'll never see a F sharp and a D sharp by themselves in a key signature. The flats must come in the order of the F, C, G, D, A, E, and B.

To figure out what to call the key:

1. Look at the last sharp in the key signature.
2. If the sharp is on a line, look at the next closest space above. The name of that space is the name of the key. 
3. If the sharp is on a space, look at the closest line above. The name of that line is the name of the key.

• If the sharps were Father, Charles, C is the last sharp. C sharp is on a space. The next closest line above it is D. D is the name of your key. You are in D Major.
• If the sharps were Father, Charles, Goes, Down, D is the last sharp. D sharp is on a line. The next closest space above it is E. E is the name of your key. You are in E Major.

If the key signature has no sharps or flats, your are in the key of C Major.

To work on key signature recognition, click here.

To read about key signatures with flats click here.

||: Sing. Buzz. Play. :||

-Mr. B