The Daily Book of Classical Music

DAY 187

MUSIC THEORY

Key Relationships

THE CIRCLE OF FIFTHS

Songs, sonatas, and symphonies are pitched in different major and minor keys, or tonal centers. These are indicated by sharps and flats in key signatures at the beginning of each staff. Each time you add a sharp, the tonal center moves up a fifth or down a fourth. Each time you add a flat, the tonal center moves up a fourth or down a fifth.

The following notational illustrations show how sharps and flats are used to make a tonal center on any pitch in the chromatic scale.

As you can see, the key of C major has no sharps or flats. Each major key has a relative minor key, and vice ...