How to tell the key of your sheet music 

ive literally looked for this for ages but could never seem to understand, this made it so simple i had no idea it was this easy!

Thank you, James, for following up on my suggestion! Now, after hearing my name three times mentioned, I guess I'm world-famous! :-) And, after, Lo, these many years, I learned something new: My piano teacher taught me to look at the rightmost flat in the key signature and count down four half-steps. I like your method better. It's more direct. I like that! Cheers!

1:43 Begins teaching- C Major 2:29 G Major 3:22 D Major 3:56 A Major 4:22 E Major 4:45 B Major 5:24 F Sharp Major 6:00 C Sharp Major 6:33 F Major 7:16 B Flat Major 7:40 E Flat Major 8:02 A Flat Major 8:14 D Flat Major 8:31 G Flat Major 8:50 C Flat Major

*Recap ( WITH A TIP AT THE END OF THE COMMENT TO KNOW IF YOU'RE IN MAJOR OR MINOR SCALE ) :* So to begin, you should know that : - *The order of the sharps (#)* is Fa Do Sol Re La Mi Si/ *F; C; G; D; A; E; B* - *The order of the flats (b)* is Si Mi La Re Sol Do Fa/ *B; E; A; D; G; C; F.* You should know these orders by heart, it'll help you guess how many alterations there are in a scale etc.. *_To find the key of a song_* : - *For the sharps* : For example, let's imagine that there are three sharps in the key of your song [ Fa#/ *F#;* Do#/ *C#;* Sol#/ *G#* (it's the order of sharps that I mentioned earlier) ], you will have to take *the last* sharp note in the key, here It's *G#* ( Fa#/ F#; Do#/ C#; *Sol/ G#* ) and you will have to increase it with a half tone/semi tone [ Basically, you will have to take the note which is after the G# in the normal order and it's A ( C D E F _G_ *A* B... ) ]. *So we know we're in A Major scale* ( we also now know that A major has 3 sharps ( F# C# and G# )... *BUT we can also be in its minor relative* ( The neighboring scale having *the same number of sharps in the key ).* The relative of A Major is F# minor. ( I will give a tip at the end to know if we are in Major scale or Minor scale ) - *For the flats :* for example, let's imagine that there are three flats in the key of the sheet music of your song [ Sib/ *Bb;* Mib/ *Eb;* Lab/ *Ab* (it's the order of flats that I mentioned earlier) ], *for the flat you'll simply have to take the penultimate flat in the key* which is therefore E ( B b; *E b;* A b ). *So we know that we're in the E Scale... Or it's relative minor scale* ( The neighboring scale having the same number of flats in the key ). *_Tip:_* So to know if our song is in major scale or its relative minor, you have to look on what note you start and on what note you finish on the bass part of your music score ( The bass has a F clef instead of the usual G clef ). For example: For our first example ( with the sharps ), we saw that we were either in A Major or in its relative minor which is F# minor, so to know the exact scale between these two, we look at the note of the beginning and the end on the part reserved for the bass on the music score, if the note is for example an A at the beginning and at the end, there is no doubt, we know that we are in A major. Hope it helps you

You have taught me the things in a single video that nothing on the internet could ever teach me. I always wanted to know how to identify signatures by looking at them. Now I am looking for something on relative minors. Thanks a lot sir for such an amazing video.

Man, you are a lifesaver. I love music but do not get all the notation stuff but have to take a CSET on it and you explained it so that even I could understand it. BRAVO! Thank you.

Thank you, James! This was amazing so very helpful. So happy to know that there are simple rules to follow! That is so much better than having to memorize all of it. You are so blessed! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!! YAY! Made my day!

This saved me from getting a bad grade on my music test , thank you!

That was so amazing and so easy . oh my gosh Thank you so much for that. I feel like I accomplished so much in music just learning that. Now I take all my music books and look at it and know exactly what key I'm in even though it says what it is, I still practice and it is is absolutely so easy and amazing. Thank you so much for this, I learned a lot.

Wow that helped A LOT ! You've explained everything soooo clearly and make it easy for me and I'm a complete beginner ! Make it fun to learn !!!

I can not tell you how greatful for this video. I've watched a few other videos similar to this but your explained it best. Thank you!!

Thank you so much! I've been looking for a video like this so you just made my day!

Dang, no time wasted while talking and so clear! So good with your words! Thanks this helped 👍

I had been searching this for months. You helped me. Thankyou very much

Thank you so much for your clear and thorough explanation!

Great lesson! Thank you! You really simplified this process.

This is a short but very informative video. Outstanding!

Thank you so very much, James. You are amazing.

Awesome! I was so confused before! You just saved my frustration, thank you so much

Great video! I finally understood this concept. Thank you.

this was amazing video! it helped so much ! Thank you TIMES 3000!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, explained brilliantly 🙏👍

Thanks for this, it has taken me 2 years of piano to understand this! :)

Incredibly helpful! Thanks for this!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE

Thank you so much, i really like your way to explain thiss❤️ this really helpful

Thank you so so much I really needed this!

What about the major versus minor scales such as C major and A minor?

Fantastic James. Nice hint.

thanks - you tought me what my music teacher could never

Your so good at this 🤩

Thank U. Just so love this

I have studied key signatures already since I moved to college taking up music. I still have to review my key signatures from time to time. When I studied music theory having Rudiments class, I got perfect scores in my key signatures.

Hu, very interesting, why did none of my teachers ever teach this(?). Thanks!

Beautiful piano

Thank you so much ❤️ Learnt a lot 😇

For the flats, going by the last flat and dropping it down 1 and 1/2 step ends on the right key as well

Great video, very informative!

Love your videos,Happy New Year!.

Best video! I learned now! Thank you

oh man thank you on behalf of all the internet

Thank you I am also looking for this and am with you here learning it.

Wow! You really explained it well especially for a beginner like me.

This was really helpful thank you very much.

Wow.. Amazing tips .. Thank you so much.. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙏🙏

Great help!

I finally get it thank you!

Thank you so much for this video those tricks will be so useful for my exams

Thank you!

Thanks it helped me a lot

Thank s sir for the best tutorial video

I had a piano test tomorrow so thank you

Oh my GOD. thank you. I’ve been so confused.

thank you!

Ah this was so useful! Thank you!

Thank you so much for this video!!!! My band teacher tried explaining this to us in band class and I had absolutely no clue what she was talking about and I thought I was going to fail my test. Thanks again!!!!!

thank you

Thank you so much

INCREDIBLE! THANKS SUBSCRIBED

thank you so much

Anyway to tell whether the piece is written in a minor key?

Thank you ...

Thankyou!

"Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle"

Thank you.

Great.

IM CONFUSEDDDDDDD

Thank you so much. The key signature is that also the root note? I'm just beginning to learn music theory. I play the chromatic Harmonica. Which has the half notes.

Thank you, James, this was soooo helpful. More helpful then most of the explanation out there. I am just wondering if you heard of Brian Crain? Your way of explaining the flats was so simple and understandable. Have you done a tutorial video?

I never knew you could find keys from just scales

Every major key has a parallel minor key though right? When I identify a possible major key I have to know the minor key with the same amount of b's or #' s so I can find out the actual key by analysing if it's major or minor (by the first or last chords for instance)

Just wondered if you could do a video on time signatures and counting the pulse of a piece of music as I struggle with rhythm in my sight reading

I dont understand, at 3m 06, you say the sharp next to the clef is a F-Sharp but how do you know THAT? Also, even if from this you can determine that it is G-Major key, how do you then know what the notes are? Does G-major just have the G in the 2nd space down, where C would be for C major?

What book are you using in the video? I'd like to get it! Great video, thank you.

What about minor scales? Is there any way to know if a scale is major or minor by looking at the sheet?

Key G have a black key which is F# but you said when playing G you have to play all the white keys

Does key signatures change the position of C in the paino sheet?

👏

Thank you

@PianoForEver Hi, I gotta desagree with you. When there are 2 sharps # it's E or A, E Dorian or A Mixolydian. And 1 # it's A Dorian. Right? Ships Are Sailing got 2 # and it's not in D. Green Groves of Erin got 1 # and it's not in G, it's in A, A Dorian.

besides just knowing music theory, is there a reason to be able to identify the key signature?

What book are you using?

idk whichi sharp is which :(, like what are their positions?? :((

This guy look like Lex Luger

Please please tell us how to play imagine dragons

Does this method work for all instrument sheet music

I can hear shirp now

I don’t know about the keys signature.

OR just look at the last note or chord played in the song. It works 99% of the time! Minor keys can be problematic....

Having trouble understanding if your term of "One half step" means literally 1 1/2 steps, or just a 1/2 step itself.

My problem is.. how to play looking at them.

Can you please put it in practice after you explain each cord, with thanks

🤨

Flat: beadgcf

How tf is E a F? You said E is basically the same as F and AN E IS NOT THE SAME SH*T AS A F. I DON'T UNDERSTAAAAAAAND

this is really helpful..thank you so much!

Thank you!