Music Theory Basics: The Key To Key Signatures by Everett M.

 Music Theory Basics: The Key To Key Signatures

There are lots of different keys, and it can become quite confusing to navigate. There’s major keys, minor keys, modes; it can get overwhelming. It's best to start with the simpler and more well known keys, to kind of ease yourself into it. So, let's talk about the top three most popular key signatures: C Major, D Major, and G Major. 

Before we get into the main course, let's first go over what key signatures are. A key signature is “any of several combinations of sharps or flats after the clef at the beginning of each stave, indicating the key of the composition.” In simple terms, it shows which notes throughout the peace will be sharp or flat. The key signature of a peice of music can drasticly change the emotions and story it creates. It's an important concept to grasp when writing or reading sheet music. 

First, C Major. It's the most widley used, and most well known key. It has no sharps and no flats, every note is natural, making it quite easy to read and write in for beginners. The root note, or tonic, is C, hence C Major. The scale is: C (tonic), D (supertonic), E (mediant), F (subdominant), G (dominant), A (submediant), and B (leading tone). C Major, at least in western music, is seen as completely pure. Its sound evokes innocence, simplicity, and naivety. Overall, it's a joyful key, but it still has plenty of emotional range. C Major is a simplistic key with a simplistic sound, perfect for beginning artists to experiment with. 

Next, D Major, taking second in popularity. The key introduces two sharps, so it is a bit trickier than C Major. The scale is built from D (tonic), E (supertonic), F# (mediant), G (subdominant), A (dominant), B (submediant), and C# (leading tone). It's well suited for string instruments, like the violin or guitar, because of their structure. D Major is a key of triumph, warcries, and victory. Many symphonies and marches are set in this key, and it was highly popular in the baroque period. D Major adds a bit more of a challenge with the added sharps. But it also gives you more range and room to play around with the notes. 

Finally, G Major. It's a bit more simplistic than D Major, as it only has one sharp, F#. The key is built as follows: G (tonic), A (supertonic), B (mediant), C (subdominant), D (dominant), E (submediant), and F# (leading tone). G Major is rustic, idyllic, and lyrical. It expresses gentle and peaceful emotions, true friendship and faithful love. It was very popular throughout the baroque and classical era, referred to as “the key of benediction.” 

Use this as a jumping off point, to discover and explore the many key signatures out there. You are not limited to these three in any way, key signatures are really just a suggestion. Music is just another art form, and you can use key signatures to your advantage; to create feeling and tell a story. Good luck on your music making endeavors!