Transcription
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Hi and welcome to our 10th episode at Play Piano. You have made it quite far already. You should feel quite accomplished.
Look, I realized that episode 9 was quite heavy and full of new information, so I wanted to do a quick recap before we move on to our next episode, major scale modes. I'll try to keep this short and sweet.
So, we learned that every piece of music uses notes from a particular major or minor scale. We're obviously looking at major scales today. These scales can be represented on a piece of music by using a key signature. There are really two types of key signatures: sharps and flats.
The sharp key signatures are drawn to fit the correct order of sharps. Now, this order must be the same every time because it makes it easy for the musician to figure out. The order is as follows: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battles, or F, C, G, D, A, E, B.
Now, realize this: when you're trying to identify a sharp key signature, the last sharp you see is actually the seventh note in the scale that we're trying to figure out. I'll repeat: the last sharp in the key is the seventh note in the scale we're trying to figure out.
If we're looking at a key signature with three sharps, they will be F sharp, C sharp, and G sharp. So, G sharp then is the seventh note, and A is the eighth note and also the key we're trying to figure out. Remember from our major scales tones and semitones lesson that the seventh and eighth notes are only a diatonic semitone apart.
So, a key with six sharps would have an E sharp as its last sharp or seventh note, meaning that F sharp is the major key. This process can also be asked in the reverse. If anyone asked you how many sharps are in E major, all you'd have to do is go down a diatonic semitone in your head to the last sharp, which is also the seventh note in the E major scale, and find out what number it is in the order of sharps. Since we get D sharp, it's the fourth number, so you can say that E major has four sharps. Practice many of these to get the concept ingrained, and you'll be ready to move on.
Now, flats are simple. The flat key signatures are drawn to fit the correct order of flats. The order is as follows: Battles End And Down Goes Charles' Father, or B, E, A, D, G, C, F.
Now, realize this: the second last flat in any flat key signature is the first note of the scale you're trying to figure out. That means that the second last flat is the answer. In a flat key of five flats, the key signature is as follows: B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, and G flat. So, the second last flat, D flat, is also the key. If there were four flats, the key would have been A flat; three flats, E flat, and so on.
Remember, if there's only one flat in the key, it is F major because it falls within the exception. In the reverse, someone could ask you, "Hey, how many flats does G flat have?" And all you'd have to do is find G flat in the order of flats and count one more past. So, G flat is second last. This means that G flat would have six flats, with the last flat being C flat.
Okay, let's practice some more on the activity below, and I'll see you in the next video.
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