Because the pitch class C is the most stable-sounding pitch in the melody, Example 8—3 is in the key of C major. The melody from Example 8—3 can be written in any major key. The following example transposes it rewrites it at a different pitch level to E major by raising each note up two whole steps, putting E in the most stable position.
The melody sounds the same, only higher:. Identify the key of each of the following melodies by considering which scale is represented by the present pitches and by looking for points of stability that might be the tonic note. B b major. Look for stable pitches that might be the tonic. Note that the melody might not begin on the tonic! Each major scale contains a distinct set of seven pitch classes. Again, see Chapter 6 for a lengthier discussion of the major scale. One major scale may share as many as six pitches with another, as we saw in Example 8—3, but not all.
Two major scales that share seven pitch classes in common are considered to be the same scale. Since each major scale is unique in this way, a piece in a major key will draw from the same pitches as its corresponding major scale.
These sharps and flats used in the corresponding major scale are usually written at the beginning of each line in a key signature. The key signature is a collection of sharps or flats that indicates which notes should be raised or lowered so that they belong to the key.
In C major, there are no sharps or flats in the key signature, just as there are no sharps or flats in the C major scale. In keys other than C major, the key signature is written to the right of the clef, just before the time signature, at the beginning of each line of music. The following example shows the same melody in E major but here makes use of a key signature instead of writing out all the accidentals:. E major has four sharps F , C , G , and D , all of which appear in the key signature.
Even though D is not used in this melody, the accidental is left in the key signature. Doing so makes it clear that this excerpt is in E major. Sharps or flats in the key signature affect more than just the notes whose line or space they share:.
The first sharp of the key signature in Example 8—6 centered on the top line of the staff applies to the note on the same line, making it F. Likewise, the second sharp of the key signature centered on the third space on the staff applies to the note on the same space, making it C. The accidentals appearing in the key signature apply to every instance of that pitch class. The F and C in the second half of Example 8—6 are both sharp even though the key signature does not include an accidental on their respective space and line.
Note: The sharps in the key signature are centered on the line or space of the note to which they apply. As you will see momentarily, the same is true of key signatures using flats. The head of the flat accidental is centered on the line or space of the note it affects. E b major. Pitches specified by the key signature can be canceled out by an accidental next to a note, as in the following example:. This piece is in E b major, which has three flats B b , E b , and A b as specified by the key signature.
This canceling out of A b lasts only as long as the measure in which the accidental appears. By the second measure, all As should again be flatted according to the key signature. Note: You will frequently come across accidentals that may seem unnecessary. The flat next to the A on the fourth beat of m. Click here for piano fingering for F major scale. Click here for piano fingering for the B flat major scale.
To learn the fingering for the Ab major scale, click here. There are also other types of scales. And there are lots of great reasons why to learn your scales. To see the minor scales, click here. There are also different modes for scales.
These tend to be the less traditional scales. To check those out, go to music scale modes. Also, you can see the pentatonic scales here. Privacy Policy. Beginner Piano Lessons. Beginner Piano Music.
It is important to memorize the order of sharps and flats, since you will be writing key signatures regularly. It is the reverse of the order of sharps. A helpful learning device to remember the order of keys in relation to the order of sharps and flats is the circle of fifths.
Mendelssohn was inspired to compose this work by the beauty of Italy. He said "This is Italy! And now has begun what I have always thought And I am loving it. B-Major has five sharps in the key signature. The key of B-Major is one of wild passion. It can represent emotions of intense love, anger, jealousy, and rage.
It is one of the few major keys that symbolizes negative emotions. Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. It was an event that was seen as triumphant but also was an armed insurrection. This highlights the conflict between love and rage.
This means that while they look different, they will sound the same. C-sharp and D-flat are the same pitch. That said, some people have an easier time reading sharp or flats, and one of these keys might make more sense when looking at related keys or chord progressions. It is a key described as being moderate but capable of expressing a range of emotions.
It can be happy, but not joyous, or it can be sad, but not in agonizing pain. Now that you know the D-Flat major scale, you also know the C-Sharp major scale. Go note by note through these two scales and you will see that they are the same, but expressed differently. So yes, every single note in this scale is sharp.
Since this scale sounds, to the ear, the same as the D-Flat Major scale, it has similar musical character traits. That said, in compositions, these two keys might be approached differently, which will have a dramatic impact on the feelings they convey. Many more composers have written symphonies in C-sharp over D-flat. One famous example is Mahler's Symphony No.
A famous work in the key of E-flat is Beethoven's Symphony No. This piece was originally dedicated to Napoleon, which speaks to the idea of admiration love and devotion. The G-Flat Major scale is another scale that is an enharmonic equivalent. G-flat can also be written as F-sharp.
0コメント