MAJOR KEY DETECTIVE GAME

or “What Key Am I Playing In?”

When I was first learning to sing and play the piano, I would look at a piece of music and get overwhelmed as to how to figure out the key signature. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, the key signature is basically the scale (or series of consecutive notes) that the piece is written in. The composer adds raised notes (sharps – #) or lowered notes (flats – b ) to help you know which keys to play or sing. The key signature comes at the beginning of the piece right after the clef sign. (Treble clef, or Bass clef).  There are other clefs but not for voice or piano.

Question: Ok. So how do you figure out this important but somewhat elusive scale?

Answer: Look at the last note of the piece. “Really?” “YES!” “Why?” Well, 99.99999% of pieces end on the first note of the scale that the piece is written in.  “Ok, then what do you do?”

Go back and look at the key signature. Sometimes there are no accidentals (#, b) so the piece is in C major or the relative minor which is “A” minor.   Adulting is hard but being a kid = so much harder!

“But what IF there ARE #’s or b’s!!!@%!!”     I would get really upset.

“Don’t cry Laurie” I might tell my young self.  I can explain but it will require being a detective and playing the MAJOR KEY DETECTIVE GAME!!  (Cue HERO music!)

Note: Now, review the lines & spaces of the treble clef to play along.

(Spaces – FACE  /  Lines – EGBDF)

FOR MAJOR SHARP KEYS – Remember, look at the last note of the piece. Then look at the key signature. If there are sharps – (#), then go to the last sharp to the right. Go up ½ step to the next key and name it. Does it match the last note? If so, that is the first note and name of the key/scale.  If not, it is the relative minor. (I will explain minors in another blog.) Can you find the answer?

Answer:  the last sharp to the right is on the 4th line of the treble staff so it is D#. Go up ½ step to E. That is the major key. (E major) See if it matches the last note of the song. Did you find it?

FOR MAJOR FLAT KEYS – If there are flats – (b) in the key signature, then the second flat from the right is the name of the key (if a major key.) Just name it.  Does it match the last note? Great! If not then it is also the relative minor key.  What is the answer?

Answer:  There are 3 flats. The second flat from the right is Eb. Is the last note an Eb? If so, that is the scale the piece was composed in and there are 3 flats. EASY PEASY.  You are now a: Drum Roll –               “MAJOR KEY DETECTIVE!”                   Thanks for playing. 😊

Laurie Beth Frick