How to Read Sharps in Key Signatures

Knowing how to read key signatures on sheet music is a fundamental musical skill. There are a total of 12 common key signatures, but each one can indicate either a major or a minor key, depending on the music. Although some key signatures have only flats in them, many have sharps. Here's how to read these special notes.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Start with the key of C-Major. This key signature has no sharps and no flats, but it's a good starting point for figuring out the rest.

2. Move up a perfect fifth from middle C and begin your major scale on G. This key signature only has one black note, F-sharp.

3. Jump up another perfect fifth from G to D. The D-Major scale adds one more sharp to the G-Major key signature, C-sharp.

4. Go up yet another perfect fifth from D to A. Like before, the A-Major scale contains one more sharp than the scale a fifth below, which in this case is D-Major. Add a G-sharp to the key signature for a total of three sharps.

5. Shift your scale from A up to E. Add D-sharp to the growing list of sharps in the key signature to create the E-Major scale, which has four sharps.

6. Hop up one more perfect fifth from E to B. This is the last common key signature with sharps in it. Add an A-sharp to the key signature and you've got the B-Major scale with six sharps.

Tips & Warnings

• Jump down an octave any time your scale starts higher than you want.