Key Signatures/ Intervals

Week 4

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of today’s session, students will be able to:– Understand the practical use of key signatures– Develop a method for identifying and constructing

major key key signatures– Develop a method for identify and constructing

natural/relative minor key key signatures

Scales Review

• What is a scale?• What interval pattern characterizes a Major

scale?• What interval pattern characterizes a Natural

Minor scale?

• Key signatures put the required accidentals for various scales at the beginning of a piece of music

• They are placed directly to the right of the cleff, just before the time signature.

Which notes in this piece will be flattened?

Why Key Signatures

• Easier to read music• With the accidentals of the key signature at

the beginning, the key is recognizable immediately, even if there is a lot of chromatic alterations afterwards.

Placement

• The placement of the accidentals in a key signature follows a rigid pattern.

• This sequence is the result of the circle of 5ths• Each successive note name is a 5th above or

below the preceding pitch. • To be logically sequenced, the building of key

signatures follows a cycle

Flats

• Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father• See Example 2 on page 13

B♭E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭

Sharps

• Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle• See Example 1 on page 14

F♯C ♯ G ♯ D ♯ A ♯ E ♯ B♯

Placement

• In order to be immediately recognizable, key signatures must always be placed in this exact order on the staff

• See Example 2 on page 14

Recognizing Key Signatures

• Know the number of sharps and flats used• For flat keys the major key is represented by

the flat before the last flat• For sharp keys, the major key is a half step

above the last sharp

Relative Minor

• Each major key signature has a relative natural minor which uses the same set of notes

• The relative minor for each is the 6th scale degree of the major scale

• Eg. C D E F G A B C• What is the relative minor to F major?• F G A Bb C D E F

Activity

• Begin Worksheet 7 and 8

Project

• One 16 bar major key melody• One 16 bar minor key melody