Key Signatures

Key signatures are about finding and playing the correct black and white notes for a given key. There are a number of ways to approach learning them.

Here's a short video explanation of key signatures. If it's confusing, read the information below first. Then try the video again.

There are keys with sharps and keys with flats. They can only be one or the other. Most of the time the sharps or flats are black notes.

If a note has a sharp or flat in a key, for example, F#, then you must always play F#. Don't play F.

The only key with no sharps or flats is C. From C, we can figure out the rest of the keys.

Sharps

Start with the note C. To figure out which note has 1 sharp, count up 5 notes (including C). Now you are on G. It has 1 sharp - F#. Notice that F# is the note directly in front of G. So, the key of G has one sharp which is F#.

Now, all keys that have sharps in them will include an F#. If there are 2 sharps, they will be F# and something else.

To figure out which key has 2 sharps, count up 5 from G. It's D. The note directly in front on D is C#. So, D major has F# and C#.

Here's a chart of the keys and the notes that are sharp.

All Sharps

To remember the order of the sharps, you can use this saying:
Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle.

Flats

The keys with flats follow a different pattern. You count in 4's.

Starting from C, count up 4 (starting on C). Now you are on F. F is the key with 1 flat. To find the flat, count up 4. You are on B. Now make the B a flat. The key signature of F is Bb.

Bb is also next in line. Bb is the key signature with 2 flats. Count up 4 and you are on Eb. The key signature of Bb is Bb and Eb. And the pattern continues.

Here's a chart of the keys with flats:

I don't use a saying for the flat keys but the first 4 spell the word "bead". After that I just remember "g-c-f".

On the Staff

If you need to write the keys on the staff, here's how they should look in piano music.

(Note: just subtract the ones you don't need, they're always written in the same place.)

More pages that might help:

Memorize Key Signatures
Need to memorize key signatures? This page shows you how to memorize the order of the keys, sharps and flats, and where they go.
Key Signatures Quiz (On Treble Clef)
Test yourself with this key signatures quiz. You'll see the key signature on the treble clef and will need to name the key.
Music Theory Key Signatures (Circle of 5ths & 4ths)
Learn music theory key signatures by learning neat and easy patterns called the circle of 5ths and the circle of 4ths.
Key Signatures Quiz (What Is The Key Signature?)
Do you know which sharps or flats belong to a key? Test yourself with this key signatures quiz and find out!
Minor Key Signatures Quiz (On Treble Clef)
Do you know your minor key signatures? Let's find out and see if you've got them down with this quiz using the treble clef.
Music Key Signatures
Find out which sharps or flats to play in music key signatures and where they are on the staff.
Learn Key Signatures Easy
Need to learn key signatures easy? Start here with the basics.
Key Signatures Bass Clef
See the key signatures of the bass clef on the staff for all major keys.
Minor Key Signatures Quiz (Name the Sharps or Flats)
Take the minor key signatures quiz and see if you can correctly guess the sharps or flats in the minor keys. Ready? Let's go!