Melody - Key Signatures

A key signature is a group of accidentals placed at the beginning of every line of music, just to the right of the clef, that instructs the performer to apply the accidentals to every corresponding note in the piece, no matter the octave, unless otherwise specified. Key signatures can only either be sharps or flat, never both. They it unnecessary to put a sharp or flat before every sharped or flatten note in the piece.

For example, this key signature indicates every F# in the piece should be sharped, regardless of the octave.

In C major, there are no sharps or flats so the key signature has no sharps and no flats.

C Major Scale

C Major Key Signature

In G Major, there is one sharp (F#). So the key signature is F#.

G Major Scale

G Major Key Signature

In F Major, there is one flat (B♭). So the key signature is B♭.

Purposes of a key signature:

• It indicates the key of the piece.
• It reduces the need for including sharps, flats and naturals with every note.

To work out the key of a piece of music:

• Look at the signature.
• Look at the last note - often (but not always) this will be the key note.

Melody - Major Scales

A scale (from the Italian word for ladder) is a series of notes from low to high (or high to low) following some pattern of whole steps and half steps.

A major scale is a series of notes, in alphabetical order, beginning and ending on the same pitch. Like a "musical ladder", each step is the next consecutive note in the key. Sometimes, the solfège syllables are used to sing the scale: DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, TI, DO.
The major scale pattern is shown below.

All major scales are based on the pattern of the key of C major, which has no sharps or flats. Thus, all the notes of the C major scale occur on the white keys of the piano keyboard. Once you understand the construction of the scale in the key of C major, you'll be able to build the scale and key signature for every other major key.

As you already know, the shortest distance between two notes, is called a half step. A whole step is the equivalent of two half-steps. Let's examine the pattern of whole steps and half steps in the C major scale.

Take the time to memorize this important pattern, because it is the blueprint for all other major scales: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. 

Once you are quite familiar with the step-by-step pattern of the C major scale, take a look at the G major scale. The notes of this scale are the building blocks for music in the key of G major. Notice that this scale requires an F# note in order to follow the proper step-by-step pattern for major scales:

Now take a look at the F major scale. The notes of this scale are the building blocks for music in the key of F major. Notice that this scale requires an B♭ note in order to follow the proper step-by-step pattern for major scales,

WHEN WRITING MAJOR SCALES, REMEMBER:

• There should be eight (8) notes.
• The first (1st) note and the last note should have the same name.
• Every letter name must appear at least once.
• Follow the interval pattern W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
• The notes B-C and E-F are a semitone apart.
• A sharp raises a note by a semitone.
• A flat raises a note by a semitone.
• A major scale can only have either sharps or flats, NEVER both.