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Key Signatures Decoded
See those sharps or flats at the start of a piece? They tell you the key, if you know their secret order.
In this lesson you'll
- Read a key signature.
- Learn the order of sharps and flats.
- Name any key in seconds.
Remember
A key signature lists a key's sharps or flats once, for the whole piece.
Sharps arrive as F, C, G, D, A, E, B. Flats in reverse. One per step around the circle of fifths.
A half step above the last sharp, or the second to last flat, names the key.