A New System to Determine Major Key Signatures

A. FLATTED KEYS

Listed Order in the Key Signature                           Resultant Key From The No. of Flats

No flats                                                                      Key of C

Bb                                                                              Key of F

Bb, Eb                                                                        Key of Bb

Bb, Eb, Ab                                                                 Key of Eb

Bb, Eb, Ab, Db                                                          Key of Ab

Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb                                                   Key of Db

Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb                                            Key of Gb

Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb                                      Key of Cb

HINTS:

1. The key of F has only a single flat in its key signature, which is Bb, and because there is no pentultimate order on the key signature of F, you need to think down a fourth from Bb to get the key.

2. The key of Bb, and other flatted keys that follow (Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb), require you to think look at the pentultimate flat in the listed order of the key signature (going from left to right) to get the key.

3. The pentultimate flats are marked in boldface.

B. SHARPED KEYS

Listed Order in the Key Signature                           Resultant Key From The No. of Flats

No flats                                                                      Key of C

F#                                                                              Key of G

F#, C#                                                                       Key of D

F#, C#, G#                                                                Key of A

F#, C#, G#, D#                                                         Key of E

F#, C#, G#, D#, A#                                                   Key of B

F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#                                            Key of F#

F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#                                      Key of C#

HINTS:

1. The key of G has only a single sharp in its key signature, which is F#, and because there is no last order in the key signature of G, you need to think up a minor 2nd from F# to get the key.

2. The key of D, and other sharped keys that follow (A, E, B, F#, and C#), require you to look the last sharp in the listed order of the key signature AND move that sharp up a minor 2nd to get the key. For instance......

* If D major is the key, the last sharp on the key signature order is C#, so you need to go up a major     
2nd (C# to D) to get the key
* If A major is the key, the last sharp on the key signature order is G#, so you need to go up a major

2nd (G# to A) to get the key of A.

3. The listed sharps that you need to go up a minor 2nd are also in boldface.

REVIEW

For the flatted key signatures, think of the pentultimate flat in the listed order of the key signature.

(Exceptions: Keys C and F)

For the sharped key signatures, think of going up a minor 2nd on the last sharp listed in the key signature

(Exceptions: Keys C and G)