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Course: Music > Unit 1
Lesson 2: Reading music- Lesson 1: Staff, names of notes, treble clef
- Lesson 2: Ledger lines and the octave
- Lesson 3: Bass clef, grand staff and the octave
- Lesson 4: Reading music in treble clef and the C Major scale
- Lesson 5: C Major scale in bass clef and reading in bass clef
- Lesson 6: Alto and tenor clefs.
- Lesson 7: Accidentals
- Lesson 8: Natural sign, more on accidentals and key signature
- Lesson 9: More on sharps and flats
- Lesson 10: Chromatic scales and the half step
- Glossary of musical terms
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Lesson 9: More on sharps and flats
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What mnemonic is everyone using? For the sharps I'm using Fast, Cars, Go, Down, Alleys, Every, Block. For flats I just remember B, E, A, D, G, C, F. because it is the same as sharps backwards.(8 votes)
A music teacher once told me this saying:
Sharps:
Father Christmas Gives Dad An Electric Blanket
Flats:
Blanket Explodes And Dad Gets Cold Feet.
Hope that helps!(18 votes)
What is the rule of thumb to determine what key a piece of music is in based on the key signature? IE) F# indicates the piece is written in G(4 votes)
In Mozart's Minuet above, why the corni and the trombe have to be transposed to D [with no key signature]? Why not write them in D major [sharp on F and C]? And what is the meaning of D.A.?(5 votes)
Is there a reason as to why we use flats and sharps instead of regular notes?(3 votes)
We use sharps and flats to represent the black notes (half steps from the white notes), because there's no other way to write a note between the lines and spaces on paper.(4 votes)
So let's say that we have a bass clef and 4 sharps in the key signature. Based on the order of the sharps, does that mean every F, C, G and D we see in that piece is a sharp? So for example F#, C#, G# and D# unless it is otherwise said in the piece correct?(3 votes)
Yes. An easy way to remember the order of sharps or flats is this:
BEADGCF
If you go from left to right, you get the order of flats. If you go from right to left, you get the order of sharps.(4 votes)
- is there a certain of notes you can play until you end a song or can you keep it going as long as you want?(3 votes)
If you are composing a piece of music, you can make it as long as you want (although people may not want to listen to a ten hour-long piece). If you are playing a song that someone else wrote, it is proper form, at least in the classical genre, to end the song where the composer intended.(4 votes)
Hi! This question might be a bit irrevelant, but how long would it usually take to become proficient in sight reading? I am learning to play the piano, as of now, so would I have to learn how to play without looking at the keys?(3 votes)
Actually, no. I play piano myself and hardly ever look away from the keys. Whether you are excellent at sight reading and don't even have to know where your fingers are, or you are able to memorize the music and keep your eyes on the keys, I suggest trying out both methods and seeing which one is the best fit for you. It takes a little bit of practice to have sight reading become a regular thing for you, though.(3 votes)
So If I wanted all the A's to be A# I couldn't place the # at the beginning on the A line? Only all F's can be sharp unless I follow the pattern and make more sharps?0:49-1:16(3 votes)- Correct. If you wanted all the A's to be sharp by following this pattern, you'd need all the other sharps in the key signature. You couldn't just have a # on A, you need the others.(3 votes)
i don't know what kind of acronym i can use for sharps on the key signatures, but i learned that the acronym for the flats is BEAD Gum Candy Fruit. any tips on an acronym to help remember the sharps?(3 votes)
Father Christmas Gave Dad An Electric Blanket(3 votes)
- When there are 4 flats can we remember them as B.E.A.D(3 votes)
Yeah, sure you can! The order by which flats appear is always the same, so if your key signature has 4 flats they will always be those.(3 votes)
0:49Video transcript
- [Instructor] If we have
music with two sharps in the key signature, those
sharps are always F and C. Here is a minuet from
Mozart's Posthorn Serenade. Notice the two sharps at
the start of the movement. If we didn't have the
two sharps at the start of the movement, look at
all of the accidentals we would have to add. By putting the F and C
sharps at the beginning of the line, the music
becomes much easier to read. ("Posthorn Serenade" by Mozart) If we have three sharps
in the key signature, the three notes that are
sharped are F, C and G. This is the pattern. One sharp is an F. Two sharps, F and C. Three sharps, F, C and G. Four sharps, F, C, G, D. Five sharps, F, C, G, D, A. Six sharps, F, C, G, D, A, E. And seven sharps, F, C, G, D, A, E, B. With flats the pattern
is one flat is always B as we've learned. Two flats, B and E. Three flats, B, E, A. Four flats, B, E, A, D. Five flats, B, E, A, D, G. Six flats, B, E, A, D, G, C. And seven flats, B, E, A, D, G, C, and F. I will analyze all of this
for you in future lessons. Look at the second movement
of Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony. Notice the five flats at
the beginning of the line. Look at all of the notes that are affected by those five flats being
in the key signature. ("Symphony No. 4" by Tchaikovsky)