Key signatures

The key signature tells you what the key note is and what sharps or flats are in a piece of music. It is written as sharps or flats after the clef at the beginning of the music. A piece can be in a major or minor key.

  • Major key makes the music sound happy and bright
  • Minor key makes the music sound sad or angry

Four of the most common key signatures are:

C major key signature. Treble clef and empty lines of sheet music.
Key signature for G major - Treble clef and symbol for sharp on high F
Key signature for F major. Treble clef and flat symbol on B
Key signature of A minor - treble clef and empty lines of music

The keys of C major and A minor have the same key signature. You need to hear the music to know whether it was major or minor. Listen to the examples below – the first is in a major key and the second is in a minor key:

'The Entertainer' by Scott Joplin performed by Joshua Rifkin

'Für Elise' by Beethoven performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy

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