Key signatures
Every major and minor key signature, the order of sharps and flats, two shortcuts for naming a key in seconds, and a quiz to lock it in.
Which key is this?
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Order of sharps and flats
Sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯. “Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle.”
Flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭. The same letters backwards.
Sharps and flats are always added in this order, so a key with three sharps always has F♯, C♯ and G♯. You will never see a key signature with just G♯.
Two shortcuts for naming a key
- Sharp keys: the last sharp is the 7th degree. Go up a semitone to the tonic. Last sharp D♯ → E major.
- Flat keys: the second-to-last flat is the tonic. B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ → A♭ major. Memorise F major (one flat) separately.
- Minor keys: find the major key, then go down three semitones (a minor 3rd). E major → C♯ minor.
Key signature chart
No sharps or flats
1 sharp
2 sharps
3 sharps
4 sharps
5 sharps
6 sharps
7 sharps
1 flat
2 flats
3 flats
4 flats
5 flats
6 flats
7 flats
The same key signatures arranged around a wheel make the circle of fifths, which shows at a glance how keys relate. To practise reading melodies in these keys, use sight-reading practice.
Questions
What is a key signature?
A key signature is the group of sharps or flats written at the start of each staff, right after the clef. It tells you which notes are sharp or flat throughout the piece, so they don’t need to be marked every time.
What is the order of sharps?
F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯. A common mnemonic is “Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle”.
What is the order of flats?
B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭: the order of sharps backwards. Mnemonic: “Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father”. The first four flats spell BEAD.
How do I find the major key from sharps?
Take the last sharp and go up one semitone. If the last sharp is C♯, the key is D major.
How do I find the major key from flats?
The second-to-last flat names the key. With B♭ E♭ A♭, the second-to-last is E♭, so the key is E♭ major. One flat (B♭ alone) is F major, which is worth memorising.
How do I tell if a piece is in the major or the relative minor?
Both share the key signature. Look at the first and last bass notes and chords, and watch for the raised 7th of the minor key: in A minor (no sharps or flats) you will often see G♯ written as an accidental.