How Do You 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Shift your scale from A up to E. Add D-sharp to the growing list of sharp
