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.

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.