Key signatures
A key signature is the list of sharps or flats written at the start of a stave so that the notes of the key do not need an accidental at every occurrence. On the guitar it matters less than on the stave, because the same fretboard has no preference, but the accidentals of a key decide which open strings belong to it and which chords are diatonic.
All fifteen major keys
Ordered from the most flats to the most sharps. Each row gives the notes of the major scale, the number of accidentals, which accidentals they are, and the relative minor with the notes of its natural minor scale.
| Major key | Notes of the major scale | Accidentals | Which | Relative minor | Notes of the natural minor scale | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cb | Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb | -7 | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb | Ab | Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb | B |
| Gb | Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F | -6 | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb | Eb | Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db | F# |
| Db | Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C | -5 | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb | Bb | Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab | C# |
| Ab | Ab Bb C Db Eb F G | -4 | Bb Eb Ab Db | F | F G Ab Bb C Db Eb | Ab |
| Eb | Eb F G Ab Bb C D | -3 | Bb Eb Ab | C | C D Eb F G Ab Bb | Eb |
| Bb | Bb C D Eb F G A | -2 | Bb Eb | G | G A Bb C D Eb F | Bb |
| F | F G A Bb C D E | -1 | Bb | D | D E F G A Bb C | F |
| C | C D E F G A B | 0 | no sharps or flats | A | A B C D E F G | C |
| G | G A B C D E F# | +1 | F# | E | E F# G A B C D | G |
| D | D E F# G A B C# | +2 | F# C# | B | B C# D E F# G A | D |
| A | A B C# D E F# G# | +3 | F# C# G# | F# | F# G# A B C# D E | A |
| E | E F# G# A B C# D# | +4 | F# C# G# D# | C# | C# D# E F# G# A B | E |
| B | B C# D# E F# G# A# | +5 | F# C# G# D# A# | G# | G# A# B C# D# E F# | B |
| F# | F# G# A# B C# D# E# | +6 | F# C# G# D# A# E# | D# | D# E# F# G# A# B C# | F# |
| C# | C# D# E# F# G# A# B# | +7 | F# C# G# D# A# E# B# | A# | A# B# C# D# E# F# G# | C# |
Why there are fifteen and not twelve
Twelve pitch classes, but fifteen common key signatures. The extra three come from the fact that the same pitch class can be written two ways: C# major with seven sharps and Db major with five flats sound identical on a fixed-pitch instrument such as the guitar, but they are different staves with different note spellings. So are F# and Gb, and B and Cb. On this site the twelve roots listed use one spelling each, and the remaining signatures appear on this page only, for reference.
The same keys, as encountered on the guitar
For each of the twelve roots used on this site: the accidentals of its major key, its relative minor, and the notes of that relative minor scale.
| Key | Accidentals | Relative minor | Notes of the relative minor scale | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | none | A minor | C D Eb F G Ab Bb | C |
| C# major | F# C# G# D# A# E# B# | A# minor | C# D# E F# G# A B | C# |
| D major | F# C# | B minor | D E F G A Bb C | D |
| Eb major | Bb Eb Ab | C minor | Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db | Eb |
| E major | F# C# G# D# | C# minor | E F# G A B C D | E |
| F major | Bb | D minor | F G Ab Bb C Db Eb | F |
| F# major | F# C# G# D# A# E# | D# minor | F# G# A B C# D E | F# |
| G major | F# | E minor | G A Bb C D Eb F | G |
| Ab major | Bb Eb Ab Db | F minor | Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb | Ab |
| A major | F# C# G# | F# minor | A B C D E F G | A |
| Bb major | Bb Eb | G minor | Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab | Bb |
| B major | F# C# G# D# A# | G# minor | B C# D E F# G A | B |
Reading a signature
- The order of the accidentals never changes. Sharps are added F, C, G, D, A, E, B; flats are added B, E, A, D, G, C, F. The seventh flat of a seven-flat signature is Cb, and the seventh sharp of a seven-sharp signature is B#.
- To find the major key from a sharp signature, take the last sharp and go up a semitone. With three sharps, F# C# G#, the last is G#, and a semitone above is A: A major.
- To find the major key from a flat signature, take the second-to-last flat. With three flats, Bb Eb Ab, the second-to-last is Eb: Eb major. The exception is a single flat, which is F major.
- The relative minor is always a minor third below the major tonic, so it shares every note and every accidental.
Related
- ReferenceIntervals
- ReferenceCircle of fifths
- ReferenceNashville number system
- CapoCapo chart
- HubScales and modes
- HubChords
- HubFretboard maps
- HubReference