8. Major Keys and Key Signatures

Ivette Herryman Rodriguez; Andre Mount; Jerod Sommerfeldt

8. Major Keys and Key Signatures

Identifying Keys

The key signatures have been removed from the excerpts shown below and accidentals have been placed next to the affected notes. List the pitch classes affected by accidentals. Then, listen to the recording, determine the key center, and write the name of the key on the line provided.

Ignatius Sancho, Minuets, Book II, 15. Gavotta, mm. 1-16

Pitch classes affected by accidentals:

3 sharps (F#, C#, G#)

Key name:

A major

Gertrude Ina Robinson, The Fairies Dream, mm. 1-8

Pitch classes affected by accidentals:

6 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb)

Key name:

Gb major

Fernande Beauvois, Valse rapide (Op. 11), mm. 89-104

Pitch classes affected by accidentals:

5 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb)

Key name:

Db major

Elizabeth Turner, 6 Lessons for the Harpsichord. Lesson 3, I. Allegro, mm. 1-7

Pitch classes affected by accidentals:

2 sharps (F#, C#)

Key name:

D major

Courtesy Accidentals

Circle all courtesy accidentals in the excerpts shown below. Remember, a courtesy accidental is meant to be a helpful reminder to the performer and is not technically necessary. Do not circle accidentals that would change the pitch of a note if they were missing.

Louise Farrenc, Impromptu pour Piano, mm. 1-16

Amy Beach, A Bit of Cairo, mm. 1-16

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, 3 Cameos for Piano (Op. 56), II. Allegro moderato, mm. 1-10

Lili Boulanger, 3 Morceaux, 1. “D’un vieux jardin,” mm 1-11

Identifying Major Key Signatures

Write the name of the major key represented by the key signatures below on the lines provided.

Writing Major Key Signatures

Write the key signature for each of the keys listed below. Remember to adjust the patterns of sharps and flats to match the clefs.

Writing Scales with Key Signatures

Write out each of the following major scales in the indicated configuration using key signatures instead of accidentals. One or two keynotes have been provided in each case to get you started. In exercises with more than one staff, the second keynote will show you where to switch to the other clef.

. one octave ascending

F major:

Bb major:

E major:

Eb major:

. one octave descending

G major:

A major:

Eb major:

F major:

. three octaves ascending

D major:

E major:

. three octaves descending

E major:

Bb major:

Identifying Notes with Key Signatures

Write the letter name (i.e., Eb, G#, etc.) of each note in the excerpts shown below on the lines provided. Take the key signatures into account and remember that a single accidental may sometimes affect more than just one note.

Franziska Lebrun, Violin Sonata in Eb major (Op. 2, No. 6), II. Rondo, mm. 1-8

Emilie Mayer, Violin Sonata (Op. 17), II. Adagio non troppo, mm. 9-16

Helena Munktell, Violin Sonata (Op. 21), II. Scherzo brusco, mm. 269-282

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Romance for Violin (Op. 39), mm. 37-46

Writing Major Scale Degrees

Write each of the following scale degrees in the specified major key. Avoid using ledger lines and take care to ensure that any accidentals are placed in the proper location.

Identifying Major Keys from Scale Degrees

Identify each of the following major keys based on the scale degree provided. Do not change the given note.

Transposing Major Melodies

For each of the exercises below, first identify the major scale used by the given melody and write its name on the line provided. Label each note in the melody with the corresponding scale degree number. Then, identify the major key signatures in each of the blank spaces that follow and re-notate the melody in that key. Start by rewriting the scale degree numbers in the original melody. Using the numbers as a guide, find the notes that correspond with scale degree in the new key.

Mathilde Marchesi, Art du chant (Op. 21), 12. Moderato, mm. 2-9