For keys with sharps-the last sharp in the key signature is the leading tone or 7th scale degree of the key.Here’s how to find the key of any piece of written music: All you have to do is analyze the pattern of sharps and flats in a specific way. Luckily, identifying the key signature of a written piece of music is easy. To situate yourself on your instrument when you play music from a score, you have to identify its key. The key signature appears at the beginning of a line of music to indicate which notes must be altered from their original state to fit the key. The key is the group of pitches that makes up the main major or minor scale that will be used in the composition.

In this article I’ll explain key signatures and show the easiest way to identify them in a piece and remember them on your instrument.Ī key signature is the collection of sharps and flats that determines the key of a piece of music. And seeing them written can be confusing when you’re not used to it.Įven so, knowing your key signatures isn’t too difficult once you understand how they work. You need to know key signatures to play along with other musicians or record on top of tracks in your DAW session.īut remembering your key signatures is hard if you don’t know how. The key signature is your roadmap to the harmonic and melodic context of a piece of music. 5.Transposition in Music: How to Change a Song’s Key.4.Relative Minor: How to Find Any Minor Scale.3.Circle of Fifths: What It Is and How to Use It in Your Songwriting.2.How to Find the Key of a Song: The Two Best Methods.1.Key Signatures: How Keys Work in Music.Click here to start from the beginning or simply just keep on reading. This is lesson is step 1 / 5 of a LANDR Lesson Plan.

A flat major key signature