Major keys in the bass clef

The first thing to learn and remember by heart is the order in which sharps and flats appear.
You need to learn how to tongue twister, it's easy:
sharps: Fa - Do - Sol - Re - La - Mi - Si
flat: Si - Mi - La - Re - Sol - Do - Fa (in the opposite direction) ..

Second: parallel keys!
Each major key corresponds to a parallel minor key, the tonic of which lies a minor third (4 frets on the guitar) down.
They have the same number of characters - the same scale, differ only in tonic.
For example:
C-major - its parallel tonality - A-minor.
E-flat major, its parallel tonality is C-minor.
A-major, parallel tonality - F-sharp-minor.
Everything is simple!)
Got it.

Third: the number of characters is determined by the major key - the same characters in the parallel MINOR key!

Fourth: there are 30 keys in total in music!
Two of them have no signs at the key:
C major, A minor (white keys on the piano) - remember!,
14 sharp keys (7 major, 7 minor),
14 flat keys (7 major, 7 minor).
it can not be crammed, but simply understood.

You don't need to remember anything more than...

Determining sharp tones!:
We begin to list sharps with a tongue twister, slow down on a sharp, a note below the tonic ..
For example:
determine the number of characters in the key of E-major.
fa - do - salt - RE .. The previous note before the tonic!
In the key of E-major 4 sharps: F - Do - Sol - Re! So, in a key parallel to it - C-sharp minor - the same signs: Fa - Do - Sol - Re!
A major.
fa - to - SOL - a note below the tonic! Three sharps.

Defining flat tones!
We list the flats and slow down on the next note, after we have named the tonic ..
For example:
determine the number of characters in the key of C-minor.
First, we find a parallel tonality - E-flat major, and begin to list the flats:
si - mi - la ...
Three flats: Si - Mi - La ...
There are three signs in C-minor and E-flat major - Si - Mi - La ...

Note: in F major (and its parallel D minor), one sign is B flat - just remember!)

How to determine which characters to put in the key: sharps or flats?
Almost all keys from the white keys on the piano are sharp.
There are two exceptions: C major - no clef signs, and F major - B flat sign.

Flat tonalities are those that have signs of the appearance of flats in their name:
E flat major, B flat major, A flat major.
By the way, let's determine the number of characters? Yes Easy!)
In the first case: si - mi - LA! Three signs.
In the second: si - MI! Two signs.
In the third: si - mi - la - RE! Four signs.

If, suddenly, it seems to you that something is not clear, maybe you missed something - ask questions, we will discuss together!)

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It is known that there are 24 keys, according to the number of notes in chromatic scale(12 major and 12 minor keys). Formally (by name) there are more of them, because all keys can be named enharmonically. For example, C sharp major can be written as D flat major, etc., or even D major can be thought of as C double sharp major, etc.

On Wikipedia, you can find a separate article for each tonality that is in any way used, with examples of works of academic music in this tonality, as well as indicating the number of characters in the key, parallel and enharmonic equal to the tonality.

The question arises as to how, in each specific case, it is more correct or more convenient to name or write down the tonality with signs at the key. For example, the key of C-sharp major will have seven sharps in the key, and the key of D-flat major will have five flats.

Some keys are unusable, due to too a large number signs on the key. For example, the key of D-sharp major should have been written with nine characters at the key (two double-sharps, the rest sharp). Therefore, instead of it, E-flat major is used (three flats with a key).

There is a list of commonly used keys on Wikipedia, in almost every article on a particular key (there it is called "Neighboring Keys").

Keys with seven characters in the key are of little use, because. seven characters can always be replaced by five. For example, C sharp major (seven sharps in key) can be written as D flat major (five flats in key). Such keys (with seven signs) are mainly used only in special cycles for all keys, for example, "24 Preludes and Fugues", etc.

Keys with six clefs are enharmonic equal. For example, E-flat minor (six flats) is enharmonically equal to D-sharp minor (six sharps). Taking into account these pairs of keys that are practically used in music, it turns out 26, and taking into account the keys with seven signs - 30.

The only well used major key with the word "sharp" - F-sharp major (six sharps at the key). The only well-used minor key with the word "flat" is E-flat minor (six flats at the key). Those. mostly with the word "sharp" minor keys are recorded, and with the word "flat" - major ones.

Now a little about the logic of "transitions" from one key to another according to the signs at the key and the like.

1) Parallel Keys do not differ in sign.

2) Keys of the same name differ by three signs, and the major lies three signs "in the direction of sharps" from the minor. For example, E-minor - one sharp, E-major - four sharps. Or: F major - one flat, F minor - four flats. Or: D minor - one flat, D major - two sharps.

3) An "extra" sign at the key, appearing in the text as a random sign, may indicate the use of some modal scale. Sometimes such signs are even taken out to the key (although this is perhaps a controversial way of recording music).

Dorian mode - a step towards sharps from minor. For example, in Dorian Mi an "extra" C-sharp will appear, in Dorian D a B-becar will appear (a flat with the key "annihilated"), etc.

The Lydian mode is a step towards sharps from major. For example, si-bekar will appear in Lydian Fa.

The Phrygian mode is a step towards the flats from the minor. For example, E-flat will appear in Phrygian D.

The Mixolydian mode is a step towards flats from major. For example, B-flat will appear in Mixolydian C.

4) "Authentic" move with preservation of inclination is a step towards flats. For example, when moving from C major to F major, a B flat appears (the same is true when moving from A minor to D minor). A "plagal" move with preservation of the inclination is a step towards sharps.

5) A more-second move up while maintaining inclination is a two-digit step towards sharps (down - towards flats). For example, when moving from G major to A major, two sharps are added, and when moving from G minor to A minor, two flats are removed.

6) A few-second move up while maintaining inclination is a step of seven characters towards sharps (down - towards flats). Hence, for example, the unusability of the tonality of D-sharp major (in D major there are already two sharps, and in D-sharp major there should be nine).

For the convenience of finding the number of accidental signs in keys with more than seven characters, it is useful to remember that the sum of signs (sharps and flats) in enharmonic equal keys is always equal to 12:
- F-sharp major and G-flat major - 6# + 6b
- C-sharp major and D-flat major - 7# + 5b
- C flat major and B major - 7b + 5#
- G-sharp major and A-flat major - 8# + 4b
- F flat major and E major - 8b + 4#