In B Major, the leading tone (or 7th scale degree) is A-Sharp. In this example, an A-Sharp is highlighted.Īnother way to think of this method is to think of the last sharp listed as the leading tone of the major key.To determine the major key, all you have to do it go one half-step up from the last sharp listed. Look at the example below and see the sharp highlighted in green. When you are approached with a sharp (♯) key in your sheet music, you can determine the corresponding major key by observing the last sharp (or the sharp furthest to the right) in the key signature. Both C Major and A Minor have no accidentals in their key signature, so you will have to memorize these without any hints! The key signature for these keys looks like this: Major Sharp Keys Though we are about to show you some useful tricks, the first thing you need to know when memorizing your key signatures is that there is no trick for C Major or A Minor. The key signatures that share the same key signature are known as relative keys. Remember that each key signature has both a major and minor key. Before we dive in, let’s take a look at all of the key signatures you will need to memorize. Key signatures let you know the set of accidentals that are within each musical scale. Our aim is for you to view the key signature as your trusty guide for identifying major and minor keys. While you could hit the flashcards and memorize each key signature one at a time, we are going to save you some time by giving you the best key signature hacks! With twelve major keys and twelve minor keys, the sharps and flats pile up fast, and it can be easy to get them all mixed up. When you are first learning your musical key signatures, it can feel a little overwhelming.

C flat major key signature