“Some musical notes may contain either a sharp,

flat or natural sign in front of them that may be

different from the key signature”

Identifying key signatures

Here is a recap on what we have learned so far

Keys

Key signatures in action

01 Key signatures using sharps
Sometimes you might see a sharp (#) in the key signature. It
will be either placed on a line or on a space of the stave. This
tells you to raise the note by one semitone. This signature
has one sharp (F), so the piece is in G major or E minor.

02 Key signatures using flats
Alternatively there may be a flat sign at the beginning of the
music. Again, this can either be in a line or space, but this
time you lower the note by a semitone. This key signature
has one flat, so the piece is either in F major or D minor

04 Using accidentals in a piece

of music
Some musical notes may contain either a sharp, flat or
natural sign in front of them that may be different from the
key signature. This tells you to change that note according
to the sign.

03 Adding naturals into

key signatures
You may see a natural sign ( ) in a key signature. This
happens most often when a piece of music changes key.
This sign cancels either the sharp or flat used in the previous
key signature.

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Key signature

A key signature will be found

at the beginning of a piece of

music or can also be changed

half-way through

A flat

A flat can again be

found in both the key

signature or a note and

lowers it by a semitone

Naturals

A natural sign will

cancel either a

sharp or flat on a

note within a piece

A sharp

A sharp can be found

either in a key signature

or on its own, and raises

a note by a semitone

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