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Memorizing The Keys
- Thread starter Mikel9478
- Start date
Memorizing the Order of Sharps/Order of Flats will help greatly . . .
The Order of Sharps and Flats | StudyBass
The Order of Sharps and Flats | StudyBass
Not every brain works the same way, and everyone'e learning preferences are unique. My preference, because it underpins true understanding over rote memorisation, includes seeing connections and derivations from first principles. So that video, whilst effective, leaves a gap.
Here is how I was taught to deduce, not remember, the order of accidentals:
The major scale is constructed from 2 identical 'Tetrachords', each consisting of a tone/tone/semitone (W W H) and separated by a tone (W)
Consider the C Major scale
and split it into these tetrachords
1: C, D, E, F
2: G, A, B, C
Now take the second tetrachord, G, A, B, C, and put the first one on top. Notice how, in order to maintain the tone/tone/semitone order of intervals it is necessary to add an accidental to the new leading tone - the F from C becomes F# in G:
Take that accidental and put it in the key signature:
Continue in similar fashion, so starting on D this time:
becomes...
and so on. In the case of #, see how it is always the leading tone that gets the new accidental. See also how, for each additional '#' the new Tonic is the Dominant (5th) of the previous key. Hence the name - Cycle (or circle) of 5ths.
A similar process applies to the 'flat' keys, but here the process acts in reverse, so the new accidental is applied to the leading tone of the starting key, then transpose the whole lot down a 5th, which is the same as up a 4th, hence the name - cycle of 4ths.
Following this proces is it easy to see how C becomes F becomes Bb and so on through the cycle of 4ths.
Armed with this knowledge you don't need to remember by rote. If you forget or you are not sure, you can work it out for yourself at any time. Do this enough times and you end up with knowledge supported by understanding, which is better, IMHO, than a bunch of fading memories.
YMMV
Yes, this is excellent. Also, the process makes it clear why the accidentals sequence follows the cycle of ascending 5ths for sharps and descending 5ths (or ascending 4ths) for flats.
Lot of ways to skin this cat. I use memory pegs for a lot of things. Guy with a beard I peg with the name Robert for robber hiding behind that beard. Donna I picture her being with the Donna party - in all that snow. Here are some of my memory pegs for music.
Some memory pegs that will help you remember things on the fly:
- See God Destroy All Earth By F#irey C#haos. Is the order of scales that have sharps in them. C has none, G has 1, D has 2, E has 4, etc.
- Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds. Is the order of the sharps in the sharp scales. C has none, G has one the F# (fat) D has 2, the F# and the C# (cats), etc.
- Farmer Brown Eats Apple Dumplings Greasley Cooked. Is the order of the scales that have flats in them. F has one, the Bb, Bb keeps itself and adds the Eb. Eb keeps itself, the Bb and adds the Ab. Notice how it builds from Farmer Brown Eats Apples, etc.
See God Destroy All Earth By F#iry C#aos
Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds
Farmer Brown Eats Apple Dumplings Greasley Cooked
The lymiric See God Destroy... and Farmer Brown .... can be used to remember the Circle of 5ths order which can be used to help you with chord progressions.
I also glued the circle of 4th/5th to my first instrument (banjo). Need a refresher just look down and there are your buddies to help.
Pick the ones that make the most since for you. Happy trails.
Edit} This may come in handy to check out the above information.
Having the notes of the Major and Natural minor scale all on one page is hard to find. That is why I've listed them below.
Major Scale Chart 221-2221 Major Key I,ii,iii,IV,V,vi,viidim
Interval number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
C major scale.....C D E F G A B........................Notice how each scale has different
G Major scale.....G A B C D E F#......................notes. C has no sharps or flats and
D Major scale.....D E F# G A B C#....................the E major scale has 4 sharps. I've
Etc, etc. ............A B C# D E F# G#.................given you some memory pegs below
........................E F# G# A B C# D#...............so you will not have to rely upon this
........................B C# D# E F# G# A#.............scale chart all the time.
........................F# G# A# B C# D# E#
........................C# D# E# F# G# A# B#
Now the flats......F G A Bb C D E
........................Bb C D Eb F G A
........................Eb F G Ab Bb C D
........................Ab Bb C Db Eb F G
........................Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C
........................Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F
........................Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb
Natural Minor Scale Chart 212-2122 Natural Minor Key i,iidim,III,iv,v,VI,VII
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
A B C D E F G
E F# G A B C D
B C# D E F# G A
F# G# A B C# D E
C# D# E F# G# A B
G# A# B C# D# E F#
D# E# F# G# A# B C#
A# B# C# D# E# F# G#
D E F G A Bb C
G A Bb C D Eb F
C D Eb F G Ab Bb
F G Ab Bb C Db Eb
Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab
Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db
Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb
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If the video is helpful to some people that's great.
But frankly, the "explainations" given in this video are unnecessarily complicated, IMHO. I sincerely doubt someone new to this subject will understand after viewing the video the reasoning behind the apparently "magic" formulas FCGDAEB and BEADGCF.
The process explained by SteveCS above is much more illuminative, IMHO. But, as Steve pointed out, "Not every brain works the same way, and everyone'e learning preferences are unique", so...
Well, the title does say "memorizing" in it. 
The method in the video and Malcolm's method are the way I learned, although our orchestra teacher used the mnemonic "Fat Charlie Gets Drunk At Every Bar" for the sharps (and backwards for the flats). He was an interesting guy.
As for key identification, for sharps, go a half step above the last sharp. So for two sharps, the last one is C#, and a half step above that is D.
For flats, the key is the flat immediately before the last one, understanding that for one flat (Bb) the one before that would be F, following the circle of fifths in a counter-clockwise motion. So for two flats, the key would be Bb since that immediately precedes Eb.
The method in the video and Malcolm's method are the way I learned, although our orchestra teacher used the mnemonic "Fat Charlie Gets Drunk At Every Bar" for the sharps (and backwards for the flats). He was an interesting guy.
As for key identification, for sharps, go a half step above the last sharp. So for two sharps, the last one is C#, and a half step above that is D.
For flats, the key is the flat immediately before the last one, understanding that for one flat (Bb) the one before that would be F, following the circle of fifths in a counter-clockwise motion. So for two flats, the key would be Bb since that immediately precedes Eb.
Long ago I learned:
Flats: Fat Boys Eat Apple Dumplings Girls Can't
Sharps: Go Down And Eat Breakfast For Charlie
Minor keys: subtract a step and a half, so F major -> D minor
Flats: Fat Boys Eat Apple Dumplings Girls Can't
Sharps: Go Down And Eat Breakfast For Charlie
Minor keys: subtract a step and a half, so F major -> D minor
I recently saw this Victor Wooten video where he points out that any key, and the key a half step down from the original key, will have sharps and flats that add up to 7. For example, A major has 3 sharps, and Ab major has 4 flats. Useful!
Smooth_bass88
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Just simply write them all out, one by one, maybe make flash cards, and just study study study. It’s like when you had to memorize your multiplication tables- or even the alphabet. Constant repetition is key (no pun intended).
Start on C - if you were to draw a straight line down a 5th starting at C, you would get G, D, A, E etc. Each "stop" add a sharp, so- starting at C - G (1 sharp), D (2 sharps), A (3 sharps), etc
For flats, draw a straight line up a fourth starting on C and apply the same rationale. Up a fourth one degree is F (1 flat), up a fourth again is Bb (2 flats), up a fourth again is Eb (3 flats), etc
When you look at a bass neck, its just a big pattern of boxes
Play keys for a while you will understand it! That is what I did. You can 'see' all the notes and understand it.
Now?? I play by tab, patterns & by ear. Much easier....
Now?? I play by tab, patterns & by ear. Much easier....
So you really should memorize that circle of fifths, but the other thing to do is to look at the key signature on sheet music.
If you see sharps, the last sharp is a half step below the key you’re in.
If you see flats, the second to last flat will tell you the key (Bb has Bb and Eb in it, for example).
But the best solution is to play songs in various keys. Especially: Ab, Eb, Bb, F, G, D, A, E. You can take a simple song, like twinkle twinkle little star, work it out in C, and play it while singing the note names. Then learn it in a new key.
Learning to read sheet music will make all of this SO much easier.
If you see sharps, the last sharp is a half step below the key you’re in.
If you see flats, the second to last flat will tell you the key (Bb has Bb and Eb in it, for example).
But the best solution is to play songs in various keys. Especially: Ab, Eb, Bb, F, G, D, A, E. You can take a simple song, like twinkle twinkle little star, work it out in C, and play it while singing the note names. Then learn it in a new key.
Learning to read sheet music will make all of this SO much easier.
Some might find it a 'useful coincidence' that the 'sharp-count' corresponds to the string number and open string notes on a 5-string bass.
I don’t see any boxes!
In all seriousness, while I get the intuitive simplicity of using geometric patterns, it doesn’t really help you when it comes to knowing which note to grab in an instant when you’re playing anything but the root - especially when that right note isn’t really in the scale.
Plus, this is how you end up with guitar players saying they want to play a song in D#.
Or for those who prefer to go from low to high, they can bring a cello with them to help them remember.
agree! write them out and memorize them - it ain't rocket surgery.
