Piano Key Chart

At the beginning of each clef is the key signature. The key signature can have sharps or flats.

Some keys are denoted by the number of notes that have sharps. Other keys are denoted by the number of notes with flats.

There are 12 keys per octave. C D E F G A B seven white notes C# D# F# G# A# five black notes

You can call the five black notes Db Eb Gb Ab Bb

In any of these keys they may be major keys or minor keys.

You can tell what key the song is in by the number of sharps for some keys and by the number of flats for other keys.

THE KEY SIGNATURES WITH SHARPS

The key of G major has one sharp F#. The key of D major has two sharps F# C#. The key of A major has three sharps F# C# G#. The key of E major has four sharps F# C# G# D#. The key of B major has five sharps F# C# G# D# A#. Look at the last sharp in the key signature and the key will be a half step up from it.

F# go up a half step to G the key is G. C# go up a half step to D the key is D. D# go up a half step to E the key is E. A# go up a half step to B the key is B. G# go up a half step to A the key is A.

There is one sharp F#

There are two sharps F# C#

There are three sharps F# C# G#

There are four sharps F# C# G# D#

There are five sharps F# C# G# D# A#

ENHARMONIC NOTES are the same notes reached by going up a half step as in C# or going down a half step as in Db.

C# and Db same black note D# and Eb same black note F# and Gb same black note G# and Ab same black note A# and Bb same black note

What if you have E#? You go up to the next note which is F. What if you have B#? You go up to the next note which is C.

Remember there are no black notes between the white notes from E to F and from B to C.

What if you have Cb? You go down to the next note which is B. What if you have Fb? You go down to the next note which is E.

KEY SIGNATURES WITH FLATS

There are key signatures that have flats. The key of F is defined by having one flat in the key. The one flat is Bb.

Then you may see a key signature with 2 flats in it, Bb and Eb. The key of Bb is defined by having two flats in it, Bb and Eb.

Starting with 2 flats you can find the key it is by looking at the next to last flat.

If you see Bb and Eb, the next to last flat is Bb. The key is Bb.

When you find a key signature with 3 flats, Bb, Eb, and Ab. It is in the key of Eb.

Then you may see a key signature with 4 flats, Bb, Eb, Ab, and Db. It is in the key of Ab.

A key signature with 5 flats, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, and Gb has Db as its key.

Cb is enharmonic to B.

Fb is enharmonic to E.

Remember that the flats increase by a fourth interval as in from Bb to Eb.

Sharps increase by a fifth interval as in from F# to C#. Then C# goes to G#. Then G# goes to D#. Then D# goes to A#.

Another way to remember the flats is by the word BEAD.

B is Bb 2 flats E is Eb 3 flats A is Ab 4 flats D is Db 5 flats

Remember that the key of F has one flat in it, or Bb.

Next lesson is Symbols

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