how can u tell what scale a piece of music uses? e.g. scale of c, scale of d# etc.?

Question

how does whether theres sharps or flats determine if its in scale of c, d, e etc. is it for every sharp it goes up and flat goes down, e.g. two sharps makes it in scale of e?

Answer 1

Sharps and flats determine the key signature of songs. The absence of sharps and flats at the left of each staff line indicates the composition to be in the key of C major or A minor.

When flats (b) are shown, begin with the last flat to the right, called "fa," and either go up or down to "do" as in fa, sol, la, ti, and do or down by using fa, mi, re, do.

When sharps (#) are shown, begin with the last sharp, called "ti," to the right and either go up or down to find "do." Where "do" is found is the name of the major key.

If the beginning or ending notes in the composition are of the note "la" the piece is in the minor key.

No sharps: C Maj or Am
One sharp: G Maj or Em
Two sharps: D Maj or Bm
Three sharps: A Maj or F#m
Four sharps: E Maj or C#m
Five sharps: B Maj or G#m
Six sharps: F# Maj or D#m

One flat: F Maj or Dm
Two flats: Bb Maj or Gm
Three flats: Eb Maj or Cm
Four flats: Ab Maj or Fm
Five flats: Db Maj or Bbm
Six flats: Gb Maj or Ebm

There are more key signatures, used primarily in classical or flamenco music that will show double sharps (x) or double flats (bb), but they are rare.

Answer 2

It's to do with the Major scale pattern.
To play a major scale on any note you must use the Tone Tone Semitone Tone Tone Tone Semitone pattern. Whilst you can do that with all the white notes in C Major you're gonna have to use black notes for any other starting note.
The number and name of these black notes make up the key signature - hence the key!

An easy way to work the key out when looking at a piece of music is to look at the last sharp and go up a semitone - e.g. F, C and G sharp - the key is A Major because A is a semitone up from G sharp. (You'll then need to work out if it's F sharp minor - look for E sharp accidentals in the piece) or learn Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle as way of learning the pattern of sharps, but then you'll have to remember that G is the first Major key with a sharp.

For flat key signatures learn the phrase backwards - Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father. Whichever flat is shown second to last - that's the key e.g. Bb, Eb, Ab & Db in key signature is Ab Major (look for E natural in piece to see if it's F minor). You'll just have to remember that only one flat (Bb) is F Major.

Answer 3

It's not really about the number of sharps or flats, its what they are. To learn/remember major scales:
"FCGDAEB"
"Father Christmas Goes Down An Escalator Backwards"
Now, take the letter of the scale (eg. G major), locate it on the acronym, move one letter to the left (so we're now on C), and every letter to the left of the letter (but NOT inclusive of the letter you're on) is a sharp in the scale.
So, for G, move left one to C, and then the sharps are therefore only F.
For E major: On E, move left one to A, therefore E major has F#, C#,G# and D#.
In reverse, if you see F# and C#, then simply go along two from the last sharp in the acronym. F# and C# make D major.
[Note that C major has no sharps, and F major has Bb]

For minor keys, take your letter of the key, and count UP two letters ALPHABETICALLY (eg. for A minor, count up to C). Now work out the key signature of the MAJOR key of the letter you have just found (eg. A minor, take C, C major has no sharps/flats). For harmonic minor scales, the seventh note will be raised by one semitone.
eg. E minor. Count up two letters to G. G major has F#. Raise the seventh note by a semitone. E minor has F# and D#

If you understand, congratulations!

Answer 4

By looking for accidentals - sharps and/or flats - which determine the key. Unexpected accidentals might mean it's in a minor key.
A quick way of checking is to look at the first and last chords.
Google "key signatures" or "circle of 5ths" or "circle of 4ths" for more info.

Answer 5

Your willfully ignorant answers are nothing more than pathetic attempts to rationalize away your cognitive dissonance so that you may maintain your delusional belief system in the face of reality... I am totally taken with this detail, the use of grammar is astounding! I am sold. Just kidding. To much to read. Love, Kate edit--Ok I took a few minutes and read it. Now lets just add a few details Bob is married to (we'll say Regina) and Regina is a great mom to all those kids. She encourages them to change their ways and to love one another and make amends for their mistakes. She even goes to bat for them with Bob because she knows that although they may have made a few mistakes they are worth a little extra time and effort and because of her so many of those would be discarded children get to go up to the attic where they can play and have a ball when it's all said and done with no chance of ever seeing the basement. Bob and Regina make a great team and together they have millions of children living happily in the attic and the only ones who go to the basement are the ones who are truly evil and unworthy of the attic and all it's fun stuff. Well that's my scenerio and that's why I say the Rosary. Love and God bless again, Kate

Answer 6

i'm 14. i know to play keyboard. the first key is denoted as G.
it is continued by G H A B C D E F G H...the corresponding black keys are identified by #.
every song begins with G or C(you can start with any key but the format changes) when the pitch increases play from left to right and vice versa. if u play frequently u can do it well
u need not go for any classes. i didn't go for any classes
all the best!!!

Answer 7

Deleted....someone's done it for you!