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When a musical key or key signature is referred to in a language other than English, that language may use the usual notation used in English (namely the letters A to G, along with translations of the words sharp, flat, major and minor in that language): languages which use the English system include Irish, Welsh, Hindi, Japanese (based on katakana in iroha order), Korean (based on hangul in ...
A key signature indicates the prevailing key of the music and eliminates the need to use accidentals for the notes that are always flat or sharp in that key. A key signature with no flats or sharps generally indicates the key of C major or A minor, but can also indicate that pitches will be notated with accidentals as required. The key ...
Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" is written in C major. Many musicians have pointed out that every musical key conjures up specific feelings. [5] This idea is further explored in a radio program called The Signature Series. American popular songwriter Bob Dylan claimed the key of C major to "be the key of strength, but also the key of regret". [6]
In all major scales with flat key signatures, the tonic in a major key is a perfect fourth below the last flat. When there is more than one flat, the tonic is the note of the second-to-last flat in the signature. [11] In the major key with four flats (B ♭ E ♭ A ♭ D ♭), for example, the second to last flat is A ♭, indicating a key of A ...
The key may be in the major or minor mode, though musicians assume major when this is not specified; for example "This piece is in C" implies that the key of the piece is C major. Popular songs and classical music from the common practice period are usually in one key. Longer pieces in the classical repertoire may have sections in contrasting keys.
The staff below has a key signature with three sharps (A major or its relative minor, F ♯ minor). The sharp symbol placed on the note indicates that it is an A ♯ instead of an A ♮ . In twelve-tone equal temperament tuning (the predominant system of tuning in Western music), raising a note's pitch by a semitone results in a note that is ...
Some keys (such as C ♭ major with seven flats) may be written as an enharmonically equivalent key (B major with five sharps in this case). In rare cases, the flat keys may be extended further: F ♭ → B → E → A → D → G → C. requiring double flats in the key signature.
This international success of the "English" system is not only due, I suspect, to the international importance of the English language and to the cultural influence and economic power of the English speaking countries, but also to the inherent simplicity and logic of that system. All this I believe warrants my use of the term standard.