Identifying Key Signatures

1
Identifying Key Signatures

• (Major Keys)

2
Basic Knowledge

• In order to identify key signatures you must know
  the following information
• 1. You must be able to identify notes!
• 2. You must know sharp and flat signs.
• ( Sharp Flat b)

3
Identifying Keys With Flats

• To Identify a key containing flats you must
  look to the 2nd to the last flat.

Example With this common key signature there
are only two flats total, so we look to the first
flat.
The Identifying Flat Tells us that this is In
the key of Bb Major
4
More Key Signatures with Flats
What are the Identifying Flats?
What is the key?
Key Eb Major
Key Ab Major
5
More Key Signatures with Flats
What are the Identifying Flats?
What is the key?
Key Db Major
Key Gb Major
6
The Key with ALL the Flats
What are the Identifying Flats?
What is the key?
Cb Major
7
The Order of Flat Signs

• The order of the flat signs are important
• when you are writing out a key signature.

8
The Order of Flat Signs
The Order Is
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
9
Identifying Keys with Sharps

• To identify a key containing sharps, you simply
  take the last sharp displayed, and go up one
  half-step (the next note)

10
Identifying Keys with Sharps
Steps to Identification
1. Identify the last sharp
F

• Move up the musical alphabet
• one step from the last sharp.

• The note named in step 2
• is the name of the key.

Key G Major
11
Identifying Keys with Sharps
Name the Key
D Major
A Major
12
Identifying Keys with Sharps
Name the Key
E Major
B Major
13
Identifying Keys with Sharps
Name the Key
F Major
C Major
14
The Order of the Sharps
Sharps
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Flats
B
E
A
D
G
C
F