Re: [Harp-L] Figuring Sharps in Keys

[David Payne <dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The answer about the whole tone/half tones in the scale was on the head. To add to that, here is how it applies. 
Goes like this in the majors.... for minor keys, each major key has a "relative minor" which uses the same scale, only it starts in a different place. For instance, CDEFGABC (no sharps or flats) is a C scale, take those same notes and play this way ABCDEFGA, you have an A minor scale.

So, in the majors... notice that each time we add a sharp or flat note, we go to the fifth of the previous key.

Sharps
C (0)
G (1) F#
D (2)  F# C#
A (3) F# C# G#
E (4) F# C# G# D#
B (5) F# C# G# D# A#
beadg
Flats
F(1) Bb
Bb (2) Bb Eb 
Eb (3) Bb Eb Ab
Ab (4) Bb Eb Ab Db
Db (5) Bb Eb Ab Db Gb

At some point, you'll wind up just knowing the relative minor keys. But in the meantime, you can find it by taking the keynote, (C, for example) and going down one and a half steps, which would put you at A... A minor is the relative minor to C.

Dave
_______________________________
www.elkriverharmonicas.com

----- Original Message ----
From: John Kerkhoven <solo_danswer@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx; Geoff Barrett <gbarrett5@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 5, 2009 1:49:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Figuring Sharps in Keys

circle of fifths

http://www.guitarlessonworld.com/lessons/lesson18.htm

you might want to search around for other pages that discuss the circle of
fifths

cheers,

john




> I am having trouble trying to understand how one decides how and which
> notes have sharps in any particular scale.  For instance I realize the
> 'C' has no sharps but A has a number but how to figure out which note is
> sharp and how one gets there is what I am stumped with.
>
> Any help would be a great help in understanding the methodology.
>
> Geoff
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
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