Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [key-signatures]

In musical notation, a set of sharp or flat symbols placed together at left side of each staff, effectively indicating the default pitch class set of the notes to follow.

In musical notation, a key signature is a set of sharp or flat symbols placed together on the staff. Key signatures are generally written immediately after the clef at the beginning of a line of musical notation, although they can appear in other parts of a score, notably after a double barline.

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What does it mean when one flat in the key signature is in parenthesis?

Can someone please help me make sense of why some flat symbols in the key signature are in parenthesis?
user35708
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Can there be C# without F# in signature?

Could it happen, that there would be C# in the key signature but no F# ? (or in general any higher # without lower one.)
John Ronald
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Equivalent Key Signatures

I've noticed that a variety of pieces in the classical repetoire (certainly at least the piano repetoire), label what seems to be effectively the same key signature differently. That is, I am not aware of any differences in terms of key between a…
Noldorin
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Key signing using fingers

I posted a similar question a long time ago, and think it was thrown out. However, still looking for an answer. When busking at a gig, it's often impossible to communicate the key of a piece, due to positioning of players, noise, etc. So, a…
Tim
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Why are the notes in a key signature in a specific order?

See: http://www.8notes.com/school/theory/key_signatures.asp It says that sharps should be defined in the key signature in this specific order: FCGDAEB While flats should be defined in this order: BEADGCF Why is these orders? There must be a reason,…
Jesse
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Can anyone put a name to this Circle of Fifths observation?

I wasn't able to find anything via search, and don't know enough about the Circle to be able to ask using accepted terminology. As context, I'm a guitar player working out the theory/geometry behind the keys, using the circle of 5ths. Please see my…
wip
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What are some tips on remembering key signatures faster for minor scales?

I'm currently taking the ABRSM piano test, grade 6, this year. So far, everything is looking good (songs, sightreading, etc.). However, I noticed that when it comes to the scales, I tend to take a long time to remember the key signature for minor…
thatweirdpandanextdoor
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Strange key signature?

I have some experience reading music, but today I came across a Bartok piece, "Melody with Accompaniment", part of Mikrokosmos Vol. 2. The key signature has one sharp, C#. I was under the impression that one sharp always means the key of G, with the…
robert.ecot
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Can't hear the tonic

If I try to do a harmonic analysis of a song, and try to find which key a (part of a) song is, I fail a lot. I try to listen which chord feels like 'home', but that is not so clear to me... Example: Tee Set - Ma Belle Amie, the verse. Chords: D7 - G…
Analyser
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Why G Major signature uses f sharp, but not g flat?

Is it just a convention? Or there is more to it ?
KHL
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What are the best criteria for naming a key?

For me, when a song has, say, three accompanying chords, they are generally I, IV and V of a particular key. Thus, in a song with C, D and G, it's squarely in G major. Others have reasoned that some songs (with say, those same chords) are actually…
Tim
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Fool-proof way of telling the key based on the key signature (major vs parallel minor)?

Let's say a key signature has one flat, B flat. It could obviously be F major, but it could also be in its relative minor, D minor. I already realize you could tell the difference with the tonic, what chords it uses, etc. but none of those methods…
Annie
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Is there a word for when key signatures change every few bars, similar to how time signatures can change every few bars -> "multi-metric"?

Changing key signatures/keys but NOT SIMULTANEOUSLY
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Key Sig Note Change

Key signature has an F sharp and there’s an F (played as F#) to an E# (Played as F) Some people say to play it as an F because it’s an accidental some say to play it an F# Which is correct
Micheal
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same song in B major and B minor

This song I'm learning to play-Flower Dance by DJ Okawari-is in B minor in one version and B major in another version. I don't know much at all about transposing and changing a song from a different key so I'm a bit confused. It doesn't sound that…
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