Finding your Key signatures

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NYMorningstar

Recording Modus Operandi
Here's an easy way to find your Key signatures.

W=whole step
H=half step
S=start

Here's the basic pattern of the major scale W W H W W W H.
You can utilize that to determine different Key signatures by substituting the starting point notes.

For example let's start with the key of C which has no sharps or flats. We start with the c note(always start with the key note) and work upscale. The dashes are for spacing only:
S - W -W- H - W-W- W - H
c - d -- e - f --g - a - b - c

This shows from c to d there is a whole step. From d - e there is a whole step. From e - f there is a half step. From f to g there is a whole step and so on... This scale is based on the Key of C, no sharps, no flats. Every note is played natural.

Now let's try it for the Key of G:

S - W - W -H -W -W-W- H
g - a -- b - c --d - e - f - g

This shows from g - a there is a whole step. From a - b there is a whole step. From b - c there is a half step. From c - d there is a whole step. From d - e there is a whole step. This is where it gets interesting. It shows from e to f there is a whole step. Woa, if you go a whole step from e then you are at f #. Well ok, this means that all the f's in the Key of G have to be played sharp. It also means that the Key of G has one sharp. Thus, when you see a Key signature with one sharp you know it is the Key of G. To make things even easier you will also see that sharp symbol actually located on the line F in the music staff.

Let's try it with one a little tuffer, the Key of E.

S -W- W- H - W -W-W -H
e - f --g - a --b - c -d - e
This shows from e - f there is a whole step.(f's are sharp). From f# to g a whole step. NOTE: Since f's are played sharp, then a whole step would go to g sharp.(g's are sharp). From g# - a is a half step. Note: since g's are sharp then a half step goes to 'a' natural(a's are natural). From a - b there is a whole step(b's are natural). From b - c there is a whole step(c's are sharp). from c# - d there is a whole step(d's are sharp). Last but not least from d# to e there is a half step(e's are natural).

If we add them up the we see the Key of E has 4 sharps! OMG. That's a hard key for alot of peeps to wrap their head around when reading music.

This works for all Keys, including flat Keys.
 
This is a useful aid for people interested in figuring out how scales are constructed. Thanks for posting.

So when do we get on to the minors?
 
Each Major Key has a relative minor key which share the same Key Signature. To find that, add 9 half steps to the starting note of the major key:
E.g., the note c plus 9 half steps = a. From that we can determine the relative minor key of the Key of C is Am.

If you know the minor key and need to figure the major key just add 3 half steps:
E.g., (a) plus 3 half steps = c. From that you can determine the relative major Key of Am is the Key of C.

Again, just as in the major scale, starting the minor scale pattern with a different note will give you a different key signature.

The relative minor key uses the same pattern as the major key but with a different starting position. Note:
__W W H W W (W H W W H W W) - major scale
_9 halfsteps__ (W H W W H W W) - minor scale

Major Scale Pattern - W W H W W W H
Minor Scale Pattern - W H W W H W W

Music in the Minor Keys sounds different because the notes follow a different pattern of intervals causing them to have different relationship with each other.

The minor scale created by using all the notes of the Key signature is called the natural minor scale. There are a couple of other minor scales commonly used that include notes not in the key signature. The harmonic minor scale raises the 7th note of the natural scale by a half step(up or down the scale) and the melodic minor scale which raises both the 6th and 7th notes by a half step going up the scale and uses the natural scale going down.
 
but you didn't tell them about "beadgcf" pronounced just the way it looks...

from left to right it's the order of the flats....
from right to left it's the order of the sharps...
 
dementedchord said:
but you didn't tell them about "beadgcf" pronounced just the way it looks...

from left to right it's the order of the flats....
from right to left it's the order of the sharps...
Click to expand...
No I didn't mention that or a few other things like modes but maybe you could be so kind and give us a couple examples that show how Erich worked this out?
 
another cool little thing:

If you look at the sharp/flat recipe on a piano keyboard, you'll notice that the progression of the circle of 5th's (sharps) or 4th's (flats) toggles back and forth, in order, between the group of three black keys and then the two black keys! Starting with Bb is going in order from the right, on the group of 3 black keys, or starting with F# is going in order from the left, on the group of 3 black keys!

So, if a piece has 3 flats, you will automatically know it's Bb, Eb (the one on the right, in the group of two black keys), and Ab. See? That's the beginning of "BEAD GCF" (flats named from left to right). It just starts getting a little weird when you are trying to play 5 flats, since Cb is not a black key... I'd rather transpose it than play with 5 flats!
 
NYMorningstar said:
No I didn't mention that or a few other things like modes but maybe you could be so kind and give us a couple examples that show how Erich worked this out?
Click to expand...

first... who the fuk is eric???

second my point really is that your not learning key sigs but rather scale construction... useful enough but not the same...

flat keys remember f has one... then the second last flat is your key....

sharps... 1/2 step above the last sharp... ie; if the # to the right is say C# then the key is D...
 
The "beadgcf" you referred to is the “Goodenkauf*” Key Signature Identification System MUS 102.
It's named after Erich Goodenkauf, a student in MUS 102 Spring 2005, who devised this system. Sorry, I thought you might know that.

Since you won't, I'll spell it out so I can learn it.

This system uses a counting system in order to determine the amount of sharps or flats in any particular Key and also to tell which notes they are. Let's start with flat Keys.

First, determine how many flats are in the Key.

You have two starting positions for counting:
1. You use the 'c' in "beadgcf" and count to the right until you reach the name of the Key you are interested in to determine how many flats are in any particular Major key.
For example, the key of F has 1 flat. To keep counting you wrap back to the beginning (b) and continue counting to the right. The Key of Bb has 2 flats, the Key of Eb has 3 flats and so on...
2. You use the 'a' in "beadgf" and count to the right to determine how many flats are in any particular Minor key. For example the Key of D minor has 1 flat(Note: F Major's relative). The Key of G minor has 2 flats. The key of C minor has 3 flats and so on...

Second, determine which notes are flat.

To do this you go back to the start of "beadgcf" and count to the right. Using the above samples you see the Key of F which has 1 flat, b's will be flat(beadgcf). In the Key of Bb, b's and e's will be flat(beadgcf). In the Key of Eb, b's,e's and a's will be flat(beadgcf).

For sharps, use the same starting positions ( c or a ) only count left to determine how many sharps and start the count from the f in "beadgcf" going left to determine which notes are sharp.

Thanks for posting lifelyrics. I wish the guitar was so obvious :)
 
NYMorningstar said:
The "beadgcf" you referred to is the “Goodenkauf*” Key Signature Identification System MUS 102.
It's named after Erich Goodenkauf, a student in MUS 102 Spring 2005, who devised this system. Sorry, I thought you might know that.

Since you won't, I'll spell it out so I can learn it.
Click to expand...
:eek::eek:

fuk you and erich both... when did you become a troll??? iwas aware of the order of flats and sharps in grade school back in the '60s but dont believe i ever thought of it as a word association for memorization... i do recall useing it as a word while tutoring my fellow frosh in uni theory 100... that would be in the fall of '71... now i am used to being ahed of the curve but hardly think of this as new controversial data... now i'm not really interested in a pissing contest but will accomodate if desired...:cool::cool:
 
dementedchord said:
i do recall useing it as a word while tutoring my fellow frosh in uni theory 100... that would be in the fall of '71... now i am used to being ahed of the curve
Click to expand...
I hate when that happens, I never get insurance when buying merchandise and don't copyright either.:D

This thread wasn't about you. Maybe you could throw in some of your learnedness and show us how to construct minor scales?:p
 
there are three minor scales... natural/harmonic/melodic...

simply take a major scale... start playing from the 6th tone... ie take a Cmaj scale start new scale on A...

with no alterations it's natural...

raise the 7th and you have harmonic min...

raise the 6th and 7th going up andnat going down and you have melodic....

ie: ABCDEFGA "a natural minor"

ABCDEFG#A harmonic minor

abcdef#g#agfedcba melodic minor...
 
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