Download Key Signatures Chart: A Guide to Understanding Sharps and Flats in Music and more Study notes Piano in PDF only on Docsity!
170129 Key Signature Chart V1 Page 1 of 2
KEY SIGNATURES - SHARPS
Count Up 5 Keys Scale Notes Sharps Key Signature
C Major C D E F G A B C - -
C D E F G G Major G A B C D E F# G 1 F#
G A B C D D Major D E F# G A B C# D 2 F#, C#
D E F# G A A Major A B C# D E F# G# A 3 F#, C#. G#
A B C# D E E Major E F# G# A B C# D# E 4 F#, C#, G#. D#
E F# G# A B B Major B C# D# E F# G# A# B 5 F#, C#, G#, D#, A#
B C# D# E F# F# Major F# G# A# B C# D# E# F# 6 F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#
F# G# A# B C# C# Major C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C# 7 F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#
To help students remember the Order of Sharps use the following saying:
“Fat Charlie Goes Down And Eats Berries”
F at C harlie G oes D own A nd E ats B erries
Major scale G D A E B F# C#
Don’t forget that key signatures are related – count down 3 semitones from the major to find the relative minor scale that has the same key signature. For example G major shares the same key signature as E minor
170129 Key Signature Chart V1 Page 2 of 2
KEY SIGNATURES – FLATS
Count Down 5 Keys Scale Notes Flats Key Signature
C Major C D E F G A B C - -
C B A G F F Major F G A B b C D E F 1 B b
F E D C B b B b Major B b C D E b F G A B b 2 B b E b
B b A G F E b E b Major E b F G A b B b C D E b 3 B b E b A b
E b D b C B b A b A b Major A b B b C D b E b F G A b 4 B b E b A b D b
A b G F E b D b D b Major D b E b F G A b B b C D b 5 B b E b A b D b G b
D b C B b A b G b G b Major G b A b B b C D b E b F G b 6 B b E b A b D b G b C b
G b F E b D b C b C b Major C b D b E b F b G b A b B b C b 7 B b E b A b D b G b C b F b
To remember the order of flats go back to:
FAT CHARLIE GOES DOWN AND EATS BERRIES
The order of the flats is the saying backwards
So instead of starting off with “F” for the “Fat”, start with the “B” for “Berries”
The new saying may be slightly edited to make more sense
BERRIES EATEN AND DOWN GOES CHARLIE FAT
Berries Eaten And D own Goes Charlie Fat
Major scale F Bb Eb Ab D Gb Cb
