Music Fundamentals A Balanced Approach

Major Scales with Sharps

In Module 6, scales were drawn with adjoining tetrachords beginning with C major. When the dominant (fifth
note) of C major becomes the tonic note of the G major scale, one sharp is added to the scale and likewise to the
subsequent key signature. An additional sharp is added with each succeeding scale.

On p. 168 is a chart showing the key signatures for C major and the seven scales with sharps. Notice:

• The order of the sharps in the key signature is always the same (F#C#G#D#A#E#B#)even if the sharps do
  not appear in the same order or octave in the scale. For example:

In E major, the order of the four sharps in the key signature is F#C#G#D#;in the scale, the order of the notes

with sharps from the lowest to the highest pitches is F#G#C#D#.The F sharp and G sharp in the key signature

will affect the F and G in the lower octave of the scale because a sharp in the key signature applies to all

octaves of that pitch.

167

MAJOR SCALE KEY SIGNATURES

&

w w w

w w w

w w w

w w# w

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

C major scale

G major scale

C tonic G dominant

G tonic D dominant

Number of sharps 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Tonic note G D A E B F C

Dominant note D A E B F C

&

#

#

#

#

w

E

w

F

w

G

w

A

w

B

w

C

w

D

w

## ##E

Key signature

########

Memorize

THE ORDER OF THE SHARPS IN A KEY SIGNATURE

F C G D A E B