Major keys?

Started by Myopic Squirrel, October 30, 2024, 11:16:47 AM

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Just beginning basic music theory and wondering about the 12 major keys. A through G I understand, but curious about the remaining 5 - why only those 5 (B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat) and not C flat and E flat?   :?

Thank you in advance.

You are leaving out F major which is one flat as the starting of the flat keys. C flat is an enharmonic key.

12-note scale with half steps between each note except B/C and E/F (C-flat is B, and F-flat is E, i.e. no half steps between those).
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There are 12 major keys. As a beginner to music theory you're probably just learning the easier and most common keys.

C - No sharps, no flats
F - 1 flat (Bb)
Bb - 2 flats (Bb, Eb)
Eb - 3 flats (Eb, Ab, Bb)
Ab - 4 flats (Ab, Bb, Db, Eb)
Db/C# - 5 flats (Db, Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb)
Gb/F# - 6 flats (Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb)
B - 5 sharps (C#, D#, F#, G#, A#) could also be Cb but not common
E - 4 sharps (F#, G#, C#, D#)
A - 3 Sharps (C#, F#, G#)
D - 2 sharps (C#, F#)
G - 1 sharp (F#)
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Gentlemen,

Thank you for your interest and posts. While I'm very early into this, already it's been helpful in understanding just the chords I'm playing.

William2 - while I've seen the same note posted as a #/b, hadn't yet seen the enharmonic term.

Pilgrim - was interesting learning regardless of the root note, the whole - whole - 1/2 - whole - whole - whole - 1/2 formula is used consistently.

fantex - the sequence I posted is from "No Bull: Music Theory for Guitarists" - James Shipway. Found it interesting that your sequence listed increasing flats to decreasing sharps. Is there a significance to that order?

Quote from: Myopic Squirrel on October 31, 2024, 02:15:51 PMGentlemen,

Thank you for your interest and posts. While I'm very early into this, already it's been helpful in understanding just the chords I'm playing.

William2 - while I've seen the same note posted as a #/b, hadn't yet seen the enharmonic term.

Pilgrim - was interesting learning regardless of the root note, the whole - whole - 1/2 - whole - whole - whole - 1/2 formula is used consistently.

fantex - the sequence I posted is from "No Bull: Music Theory for Guitarists" - James Shipway. Found it interesting that your sequence listed increasing flats to decreasing sharps. Is there a significance to that order?

< Pedantic Mode ON! >

It may be helpful to regularly remind yourself that this is "theory".

There are 12 "notes" available in the "fretted" / "keyboarded" western approach. They each have multiple "enharmonic" names - ie by pitch/sound C# is the same note as Db.  As an example of how this system can whack out, "C" is the same note as "Dbb" (aka "D double-flat")

In the western music tradition, what you've referred to as "whole" is usually called a "tone" and "1/2" is a "semi-tone". Semantics yup, but it does roll off the tongue smoother.

In this way a "major scale" is:
tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, semit-tone.

For someone who wants to understand western scales and chords it is probably easiest to start with the theory of  "the circle of fifths"

Start from "C Major" (no sharps or flats) count up five notes to G and then build the major scale structure (tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, semit-tone) you'll find you need to raise the seventh note by a semi-tone - ie from F to F#.
So G Major has one sharp aka F#

Count up five notes from G and you'll get to D. Build you major scale structure starting from D and you will still need to raise the F to F#, and again you will need to raise the seventh note by a semi-tone, from C to C#.

The pattern continues from D, up five notes to A, you will keep the F# and C#, then when you reach the seventh note, G, you will need to raise it from G to a G# to maintain your tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, semit-tone pattern, which defines the western major scale.

So the circle of fifths will map out to the scales of C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#
(C# Major has every note raised, so it has seven sharps)

As you work up adding five notes, through the circle of fifths - the new sharp will always be added to the seventh note.

There is a similar process for defining keys with "flats", but it's a circle of fourths, defined by moving up four notes each time and applying the major scale structure, you will wind up with C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb (each adding a flat each time)

Hopefully clearer than mud?

Quotefantex - the sequence I posted is from "No Bull: Music Theory for Guitarists" - James Shipway. Found it interesting that your sequence listed increasing flats to decreasing sharps. Is there a significance to that order?

I just used the Circle of fifths backwards, which makes it the circle of fourths.
Larrivée 00-40
Taylor 214ce Plus
Eastman MD315 Mandolin

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