New Key Signatures blue week 4 - WordPress.com · New$Key$Signatures(and$key$relationships)$...
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New Key Signatures (and key relationships)
Blue Week 4 (August 13, 2015)
Key Signatures we know so far:
C Major/A minor G Major/E minor D Major/b minor
F Major/D minor
New keys:
A Major E Major
Things to remember about key signatures:
• When the key signature has sharps in it, the tonic note (or the key) can be
found by going up one semitone from the last sharp.
• When in a minor key, the raised 7th degree is never added to the key
signature: it always appears as an accidental within the piece.
• The sharps (or flats) always appear in the same order on the staff (and
remember to be really clear about the placement of the sharps or flats,
ensuring that it is clear which line or space they occupy).
• The notes that are sharpened or flattened in a key signature indicate that
those pitches are to be sharpened or flattened throughout, unless
otherwise indicated.
• The key signature always appears on the staff before the time signature.
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How to identify the key of a piece of music:
• Look at the key signature, remembering that it could represent both a
major and a minor key.
• Usually, though not always, the piece will start and finish on the tonic
note.
• Look for any accidentals in the piece; they might be representing the
raised 7th degree in minor keys.
o Remember, though, that not all piece are written using a key
signature (meaning that accidentals in the score may not indicate a
minor key).
• Using all of these observations you should be able to make an informed
decision as to which key the piece is in.
For example, let’s determine the key of the following excerpt:
1. There is no key signature: the piece might be in C major or A minor.
2. There are a lot of accidentals in the piece. This rules out C major. Also A
minor has no sharps or flats either, except for its raised 7th degree (G#)
and this isn’t present either.
3. Change tactic! (Perhaps this piece isn’t using a key signature…) The
sharps in the piece are F# and C#. These are the sharps in D major or B
minor.
4. If it was in B minor there would also be an A# (its raised 7th), but this isn’t
present. Also, the piece begins and ends on the note D.
5. Using all of this information I can pretty confidently say that this excerpt
is in D major.
7
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