Keys And Key Signatures
When a song consists of notes from a particular scale, it is said to be written in the key which has the same name as that scale. For example, if a song contains notes from the G major scale, it is said to be in the key of G major. Instead of writing a sharp sign before every F# note, it is easier to write just one sharp sign after the treble clef. This means that all F notes on the staff are played as F# even though there is no flat sign placed before the note.
This is called a Key Signature. A key signature consists of one or more sharps or flats written after the treble clef, or in the case of the key of C major no sharps or flats. Because the G major scale contains the note F#, the key signature for the key of G major will consist of an F# note written after the clef.
This is the key signature for the key of G major. It has one sharp sign after the treble clef.
The C major scale contains no sharps or flats, therefore the key of C major contains no sharps or flats.
The followings songs are written in the key of G major.
The Note Low F
The note low F is written on the third ledger line below the staff.
There are two different fingerings for this note. You can use either one, but it is a good idea to know them both. Try both fingerings in the following example. practice them until you are comfortable with both.
The Note B Flat (Bb )
This is a flat sign.
When a flat sign is placed in front of a note, it lowers the pitch of that note by one semitone. Therefore the note Bb is one semitone lower than B.
Like the sharp sign, the flat sign affects all B notes within the bar in which it appears. E.g.: in bars 1 and 3 the b sign appears before the first B in each bar. The flat also applies to all other B notes within that particular bar.
