Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

22: Unlock the Secret of Key Signatures

Example 22.2 The keys of Bb and Eb.

Construct a Flat Key

To create a flat key, there are three easy steps:

1 Find the name of the key you want in the order of flats. For example, if

we’re looking for the key signature for A flat, we’d find where the letter

A is in the order of flats: B E A D G C F.

2 Add one more flat beyond the key signature name, and use all of the

flats up to that point for the key signature. In our example, one flat

beyond Ab would be Db, for a total of 4 flats.

3 Construct the key signature, putting the flats in the correct order, and on

the right line or space.

And that’s all there is to it.

The Key of F

There is one flat key which is a little different than the others, and that’s

the key with only one flat in it. Because there’s only one flat, there can’t

be a second-to-the-last flat.

You can sort of use the same procedure above to find the name of the key

with one flat. If you look at the order of flats, B is the first one. Before the

B is the one at the end of the line—F, which is the name of the 1-flat key.

Second-to-last flat is Bb Second-to-last flat is Bb

The Key of

B flat:

The Key of

E flat:

Second to last flat is Eb Second to last flat is Eb