What are the signs in the key of D major. What are the signs in A major

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How to play the same major music from sounds of different pitches?

We know that major keys use both fundamental steps and derivatives. In this regard, the necessary accidentals are set with the key. In previous articles, we compared C-dur and G-dur (C major and G major) as an example. In G-dur, we have F-sharp in order to keep the correct intervals between the steps. It is he (F-sharp) in the key of G-dur that is indicated with the key:

Figure 1. Key signs of G-dur tonality

So how do you determine which tone corresponds to which accidentals? It is this question that the fifth circle of keys helps to answer.

Sharp circle of fifths in major keys

The idea is as follows: we take a key in which we know the number of accidentals. Naturally, the tonic (base) is also known. Tonic next to sharp circle of fifths tonality will become the fifth step of our tonality (an example will be below). In the accidental signs of that next key, all the signs of our previous key will remain, plus a sharp VII degree of the new key will appear. And so on, in a circle:

Example 1. We take C-dur as a basis. There are no accidentals in this key. The note sol is the fifth degree (the fifth degree is the fifth, hence the name of the circle). It will be the tonic of the new key. Now we are looking for an accidental sign: in the new key, the seventh step is the note F. For her, we set the sharp sign.

Figure 2. Found the key sign of the sharp key G-dur

Example 2. Now we know that in G-dur the key is F-sharp (F#). The tonic of the next key will be the note re (D), since it is the fifth degree (a fifth from the note sol). One more sharp should appear in D-dur. It is set for the 7th degree of D-dur. This is a C note. This means that D-dur has two sharps at the key: F# (remained from G-dur) and C# (VII step).

Figure 3. Key accidentals for the key of D-dur

Example 3. Let's completely switch to the letter designation of the steps. Let's define the next key after D-dur. The tonic will be the note A (la), since it is the V degree. This means that the new key will be A-dur. In the new key, the VII step will be the note G, which means that one more sharp is added at the key: G#. In total, with the key we have 3 sharps: F#, C#, G#.

Figure 4. Key accidentals A-dur

And so on, until we get to the key with seven sharps. It will be the ultimate, all its sounds will be derived steps. Please note that the clef accidentals are written in the order they appear in the circle of fifths.

So, if we go through the whole circle and get all the keys, we get the following order of keys:

Table of sharp major keys
DesignationNameKey accidentals
C major C major No accidentals
G-dur G major F#
D major D major F#, C#
A major A major F#, C#, G#
E major E major F#, C#, G#, D#
H major B major F#, C#, G#, D#, A#
Fis-dur F sharp major F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#
cis-dur C-sharp major F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, H#

Now let's figure out what the "circle" has to do with it. We settled on C#-dur. If we are talking about the circle, then the next key should be our original key: C-dur. Those. we have to go back to the beginning. The circle is closed. Actually, this doesn't happen, because we can continue to build fifths further: C# - G# - D# - A# - E# - #... But if you think about it, what is the enharmonic sound of H# (imagine a piano keyboard)? Sound Do! So the circle of fifths is closed, but if we look at the signs at the key in the key of G #-dur, we will find that we will have to add F-double-sharp, and in subsequent keys these double-sharp will appear more and more .. So so, in order to feel sorry for the performer, it was decided that all the keys, where a double sharp should be used in the key, are declared uncommon and replaced by keys enharmonically equal to them, but not with numerous sharps in the key, but with flats. For example, C#-dur is enharmonically equal to the key of Des-dur (D-flat major) - it has fewer signs at the key); G#-dur is enharmonically equal to the key of As-dur (A-flat major) - it also has fewer signs at the key - and this is convenient both for reading and for performing, and meanwhile, the circle of fifths, thanks to the enharmonic change of keys, really closed!

Flat fifth circle of major keys

Everything here is by analogy with the sharp circle of fifths. Behind starting point take the key C-dur, since it has no accidentals. The tonic of the next key is also at a distance of a fifth, but only down (in the sharp circle, we took the fifth up). From the note to the fifth down is the note F. She will be the tonic. We put the flat sign in front of the IV degree of the scale (in the sharp circle there was the VII degree). Those. for Fa, we will have a flat before the note C (IV degree). Etc. for each new tone.

Having gone through the entire flat fifth circle, we get the following order of major flat keys:

Table of flat major keys
DesignationNameKey accidentals
C major C major No accidentals
F major F major Hb
B major B flat major Hb, Eb
Es major E flat major Hb, Eb, Ab
As major A flat major Hb, Eb, Ab, Db
Des-dur D flat major Hb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb
Ges-dur G flat major Hb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb
Ces-dur C flat major Hb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb
Enharmonic equal keys

You have already understood that keys of the same height, but different in name (the second loop of the circle, or rather, already spirals), are called enharmonic equal. On the first loop of circles, there are also enharmonic equal keys, these are the following:

  • H-dur (in the key of a sharp) = Ces-dur (in the key of a flat)
  • Fis-dur (in the key of a sharp) = Ges-dur (in the key of a flat)
  • Cis-dur (in the key of a sharp) = Des-dur (in the key of a flat)
fifth circle

The order of arrangement of major keys described above is called the circle of fifths. Sharp - up fifths, flat - down fifths. The order of the keys can be seen below (your browser must support flash): move the mouse in a circle over the names of the keys, you will see the accidentals of the selected key (we have arranged the minor keys in the inner circle, and the major ones in the outer circle; related keys are combined). By clicking on the name of the key, you will see how it was calculated. The "Example" button will show a detailed recalculation.

Results

Now you know the algorithm for calculating major keys, called circle of fifths.

What is tonality in music, learning to identify and change the tonality

Music theory includes a huge amount of diverse terminology. Tone is fundamental professional term. On this page you can find out what tonality is, how to determine it, what varieties there are, and also Interesting Facts, exercises, and a way to change the key in the backing track.

Basic moments

Imagine you decide to play musical composition. You found the notes, and when parsing the musical text, you noticed that after the key there are sharps or flats. We need to figure out what they mean. Key signs are accidentals that persist throughout the performance. musical composition. According to the rules, they are set after the key, but before the size (See Figure No. 1), and are duplicated on each subsequent line. Key signs are necessary not only to avoid constantly writing them near the notes, which takes a lot of time, but also so that the musician can determine the key in which the work is written.

Figure #1

The piano, like many other instruments, is tempered. In this system, the units of calculation can be taken as a tone and a semitone. Thanks to the division into these units, from each sound on the keyboard, it is possible to form a tonality, either major or minor. This is how the modal formulas of major and minor were invented (See Figure 2).

Figure #2


It is according to these scale formulas that one can build a tonality from any sound, either in major or in minor. Sequential reproduction of notes according to these formulas is called a scale. Many musicians play scales in order to quickly navigate the keys and key signs with them.

The tonality consists of two components: the name of the sound (for example, to) and the modal inclination (major or minor). To build a scale, you need to select one of the sounds on the keyboard and play from it according to the formula, either major or minor.

Strengthening exercises

  1. Try to play major scale from the "re" sound. Use the ratio of tones and semitones when playing. Check for correctness.
  2. Try playing the minor scale from the "mi" sound. It is necessary to play according to the proposed formula.
  3. Try playing scales from different sounds in different moods. First in slow pace, then faster ones.

Varieties

Some keys may have a certain relationship with each other. Then they can be included in the following classifications:

  • parallel tones. A feature is the same number of key signs, but a different modal inclination. In fact, the set of sounds is absolutely identical, the difference lies only in the sound of the tonic. For example, the keys of C major and A minor are parallel, they have the same number of key signs, but different modal inclination and tonic sound. There is a parallel-variable mode, which is characterized by the fact that in the work there are two parallel keys, and they constantly change the way, then to major, then to minor. This mode is typical for Russian folk music.
  • The eponymous have a common tonic sound, but at the same time a different modal inclination and key signs. Example: D major (2 keys), D minor (1 key).
  • One-terts have a common third (that is, the third sound in a triad), they are no longer united by either the tonic, or key signs, or mode. Usually, the one-tertz minor is located a small second or a semitone higher than the major. Accordingly, the one-tertz major in relation to the minor is located lower by a small second or a semitone. An example is the keys of C major and C-sharp minor, in the triads of these chords the sound “mi” coincides.

Strengthening exercises

Determine how the two tones relate to each other. Put the appropriate number next to the example:

  1. Parallel
  2. namesake
  3. Single Tertsovye

Questions:

  • B major and h minor
  • A major and a minor
  • G-dur and e-moll

Check your own knowledge.

Answers: 3, 2, 1.

Interesting Facts

  • How musical term originated at the beginning of the 19th century. It was introduced by Alexander Etienne Choron in his own writings.
  • There is a "color" hearing, which is characterized by the fact that a person associates a certain tonality with a specific color. The recipients of this gift were Rimsky-Korsakov And Scriabin.
  • IN contemporary art there is atonal music that does not take into account the principles of tonal stability.
  • English terminology uses the following designation for parallel keys - relative keys. In a literal translation, these are “related” or “related”. The same names are designated as parallel keys, which can be perceived as parallel. Often, when translating specific literature, translators make an error in this matter.
  • The symbolism of classical music has assigned a certain meaning to some keys. So Des-dur is true love, B-dur defines handsome men, heroes, and e-moll - grief.

Tonality table

Sharp



Flat


How to determine the tone of a piece

You can find out the main key for the composition using the plan below:

  1. Look for key signs.
  2. Find in the table.
  3. It can be two keys: major and minor. To determine which mode you need to look at, what sound the piece ends with.

There are ways to make searching easier:

  • For major in sharp keys: last sharp + m2 = key name. So, if the extreme key sign is C-sharp, then it will be D major.
  • For flat major keys: penultimate flat = desired key. So if there are three key signs, then the penultimate one will be E-flat - this will be the desired key.

You can use both standard methods and the ones above. The main thing is to learn how to correctly determine the tone and navigate in it.


Strengthening exercises

Determine the tone by key signs.

Major

Minor

Answers: 1. D major 2. As major 3. C major

  1. Cis minor 2. B minor 3. E minor

Circle of fifths

The circle of fifths is a special schematically presented information in which all keys are located at a distance of a perfect fifth clockwise, and a perfect fourth counterclockwise.


Major triads in key

Let's start with what a major and minor triad is, and how they are built. Regardless of the mood, a triad is a chord consisting of three sounds, which are arranged in thirds. A major triad is denoted as B 5 3, and consists of a major third and a minor. A minor triad is designated as M 5 3, and consists of a minor and a major third.

From each note in the key, you can build triads.


The main triads in the key are such chords that show this major or minor inclination. On the first, fourth and fifth, triads are built corresponding to the modal mood. That is, in a major, major triads are built on these steps, and in a minor, respectively, minor ones. The main triads for each step have their own names, or as they are also called functions. So on the first step is the tonic, on the fourth is the subdominant, and on the fifth is the dominant. They are usually abbreviated as T, S and D.

How to change the key in backing tracks

It happens that the tonality is either too high for the voice, or too low. To make music sound beautiful, you need to use modern technologies and programs to make the backing track convenient, that is, transpose it to the required interval lower or higher. Let's figure out how to change the key in backing tracks or compositions. We will work in the Audacity program.

  • Opening Audacity


  • Click on the "File" section. Select "Open..."


  • Select the desired audio recording
  • Press CTRL+A to select the entire track.
  • Click on the "Effects" section, select "Change Pitch ..."


  • We set the number of semitones: when increasing, the value is above zero, when decreasing, the value is less than zero. You can choose a specific tone.


  • We save the result. Open the "File" section, select "Export Audio..."


We hope that the page was useful for reading and now you know what key is, understand their types and can transpose a piece of music using special program. Read other articles on music literacy and improve your own knowledge.

If you have already started studying solfeggio, then you know that any major key is built as follows: tone - tone - semitone - tone - tone - tone - semitone.

The defining tonic is the first note of the first degree. If you take the key of C major, the note C will be the tonic. For clarity, we can consider an example of tonality. The first step is sol-la, move from the note sol in the indicated order up:

Salt-la - tone
La-si - tone
Si-do - semitone
Do-re - tone
Re-mi - tone
Mi-fa # - tone
Fa# - salt - semitone

So, you got the key of G major with one sign (sharp - #) with a key with the following scale: salt - la - si - do - re - mi - fa # - salt.

If you start building keys in this way, moving up the fifths, you will get 6 more keys:

1. D major - 2 #
2. A major - 3 #
3. E major - 4 #
4. B major - 5 #
5. F sharp major - 6 #
6. Do- – 7 #

However, to determine the number of characters in a key in a particular key, you do not need to constantly build a scale in accordance with the rule of seven steps, it is enough to remember the order of sharps, which never changes:

1. Fa#
2. Before#
3. Salt#
4. Re#
5. La#
6. Mi#
7. C#

So, if you take a key with three sharps, it will be F#, C# and G#. If with two, then fa # and do #. Another important rule is that the tonic in the major mode is the next ascending note after the last sharp in the key. If you have three sharps - fa #, do # and salt #, then the tonic will be the note la, and the key, respectively, will be . Thus, when you need to determine the number of characters in the key of any key, it is enough to take the previous sharp note in descending order in the octave and determine its serial number in the series of sharps. For example, you are asked to determine the number of sharps in the key of E major. The previous note is D#. In a series of sharps, it takes fourth place, which means that there are four signs with a key - re #, salt #, do # and fa #.

minor scale

If you have already figured out the key signs of major keys, then it will be much easier to deal with minor ones. There are parallel tones. These are major and minor keys with the same key signs. The distance between them is one minor third down from the tonic of the minor key. In other words, to determine the parallel minor key, you need to go down from the major tonic by three semitones.

It is not necessary to memorize the correspondences between major and minor keys; over time, this will settle down in your head on its own. But it’s worth learning the order of flats to determine the signs and their number with the key.
So, the order of flats looks like this:

1. Si
2. Mi
3. La
4. Re
5. Salt
6. Before
7. Fa

Flats are counted in the same way as the counting method in major keys, only the tonic rule is different here. The major tonic is not the next note, but the penultimate flat of those given in the key. That is, if you take a tonality with four flats (si, mi, la, re), then the third of them (aka the penultimate one) - la - will be the tonic. Thus, you get the key of A flat major. Using the rule of "three flats", get the F minor tonic and the F minor key.

Practical study guide.
It is aimed at students of the level 2-3 of the music school and above.
Can be used as a reference.
© Alliot Krage (Elliot Craig)

The chapter is called "Unused keys" not because these keys are not used when playing, when playing all 12 keys are used (from the point of view of practice), but because these keys, or rather the names and key signs, as a system of organization, are not used FOR MUSIC NOTATION.

Below is a list of keys that are not used for recording music. It is theoretically possible to build them, and practically it is possible but not necessary. They are not used due to the presence of a large number of accidentals in the key (more than seven) with the presence of double sharps and double flats, which makes it difficult to read musical material and is simply irrational.

Just for fun, I provided them with illustrations with key accidentals.

The left column of the table shows the names of keys that are not used. The following is a list of sounds included in these keys with completed "Houses" (see the theory of the Seven Houses. Note by the author) accidental signs. Notice the presence of double sharps and double flats. Tonics are highlighted in color. Then there are parallel keys, some of which are in italics. These are the keys that are used, but with different accidentals.

All this is provided with illustrations of key signs.

UNUSED KEYS
and their key accidentals
accidentals number of alter characters. key name Houses with accidental signs parallel key
C D E F G A H
9# ## # # ## # # # B sharp minor
8# # # # ## # # # E sharp minor
10# ## # # ## ## # # G minor
8b b b b b b b bb D flat minor
11# ## ## # ## ## # # D minor
12# ## ## # ## ## ## # La Minor
11b b bb bb b b bb bb G major
9b b b bb b b b bb in A major
10b b b bb b b bb bb D major

Good luck with your study.

Copyright Elliot Craig.

Reproduction of the manual or any part of it in any form without the written permission of the author is prohibited.

You can discuss this article in the FORUM in the "Site Discussion" section.

Today you can find a large number of educational literature, which describes almost everything. If you choose to play classical music then you have to learn the theory. This is necessary in order to be well oriented, be able to improvise and compose music.

With complete ignorance of music theory, it is best to start learning with intervals. Only after studying this section, you can start studying keys. There are 24 tones in total. Two of these keys do not have signs at the key, and the rest are characterized by the presence of sharps or flats.

What are the signs in D minor

D minor can be called one of the light keys, since it contains only 1 key sign - B-flat. It should also be remembered that all natural minor keys can acquire temporary signs. For example, in a harmonic minor, the 7th step of the scale will rise. If you project this rule to the key of D minor, then you get a C-sharp note. There is also a melodic minor scale. In terms of sound, it will resemble major, but with minor changes. In a melodic minor, when moving up, steps 6 and 7 will rise, and down you will need to play or sing a natural minor (in writing, signs of increasing or decreasing notes are canceled by the becar).

Circle of Fifths, or how to learn to improvise

The definition of the name of keys by signs with a key is taught in music schools. You can learn the keys and key signs in them yourself, using the image of the fifth circle. It depicts tonalities depending on the degree of kinship. For example, at the top of the circle there are keys without signs, then there are keys with 1, 2, 3, etc. signs at the key. Sharp keys will be indicated on the right, and flat keys on the left. If you memorize the circle of fifths, then you can easily pick up an accompaniment to a melody, improvise, and also understand the key, in which there are a large number of characters in the key.

How to determine the tonality of a work by key signs

When learning an unfamiliar work, you first need to determine the key in which it is written. To do this, you should pay attention to the signs at the key. It is also necessary to take into account the end of the work, since the same key signs can be present in two keys - major or parallel minor. Only when these two factors are taken into account will you be able to accurately determine the tone of the piece.

It should be noted,


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