Hello Everyone!
A while ago I wanted to start a "music theory blog," and write on it from time to time. I think I'll start this week! Music theory has always been a passion of mine and I find it to be as foundational to a serious music as tuning their instrument correctly or even knowing how to strum (well if they use a pick). Just a little back ground about myself; I've tutored college theory classes for a couple of years now, occasionally teach college theory and have taught many theory/composition classes within my free time through night classes and summer camps.
This week I'd like to touch on the subject of "Key signatures." If you don't know what a key signature is, look at any peice of music. Do you notice sometimes there are flats, sharps or sometimes a blank space before time signature and the first notes of the song? These sharps or flats tell us what key we are going to play in; it is called a "key signature." For example, the key of C "Major" (We will talk about what Major means later) uses these notes - C, D, E, F, G, A and B. G Major uses G, A, B, C, D, E and F#. Ab Major used Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F and G. Playing the correct notes within a key is very important; what if you accidentally played a C# in C major, oh no!
There is a lot to talk about within the subject of "Key signatures", but in order to play the notes with a key, you need to be able to Identify a key. Check out the PDF below "Key Sigs"
Interesting Key Signature Topics:
1. Every "Key signature" has two keys - A Major and Minor. To find the minor key go three letter names down from the major Key name. Example: The key of D Major and B minor have two flats in their key signature. How? D, C#, B. That Easy! A minor or major that share the same key signature are called "relatives, " so B minor is the relative minor of D and D Major is the relative major of B minor.
2. Let's say you are writing a song in D Major and want to switch to D minor. This wouldn't be switching to the relative minor, but to the parallel minor. Parallel minors always share the same letter name. How many flats or sharps should you use in it's key signature? Add three flats to make it minor, and add three sharps to make it major (from a minor key). example; C Major has no sharps or flats, C minor has three flats. See? Okay, what about D Major to D Minor? D Major has two sharps, D Minor has 1 flat. How can that be? "Sharps cancel out flats and flats cancel out sharps." The two sharps in D major's Key signature cancel out two of the flats, but one remains; thus 1 flat is D minor. See? Let's try one more! E Major has four sharps; what is the key signature of E minor? If you got 1 sharp... you are correct!
Check out the PDF link marked "key tips" below for more tips on identifying keys, with sharps, flats and their relative and parallel major or minors. I'll see you again with another lesson soon. If you have any questions you can write me at Besh@wpchurch.com or write me on the ED forum!
God bless,
Ben
http://thedulcimerhymnal.com/resources/media/Key%20Sigs.pdf
http://www.thedulcimerhymnal.com/resour ... 20tips.pdf
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If you want to test out "your skills" here are two little tests. Enjoy!
Write the Major key in the treble clef, Relative minor in the bass.
http://thedulcimerhymnal.com/resources/media/Keys.pdf
This is an exercise in identifying a key signature's Major and Relative Minor keys. Then write out the Major key's Parallel Minor and the Minor's Relative Major Key (see link for example).
http://thedulcimerhymnal.com/resources/media/Relative_and_Parallel_Key_Exercises.pdf
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