Key Signatures Chart: All 15 Major and Minor Keys, and How to Find the Key

A key signature is the set of sharps or flats written at the start of every line of music. It tells you the key: no sharps or flats is C major or A minor, one sharp (F♯) is G major or E minor, and one flat (B♭) is F major or D minor. There are 15 major key signatures, from seven flats (C♭ major) to seven sharps (C♯ major).

Updated 1 November 2026 · By the Classfern Music Department

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Key facts

• Order of sharps: F C G D A E B. Order of flats: B E A D G C F.
• Sharp keys: go up a half step from the last sharp to name the major key (F♯ → G major).
• Flat keys: the second-to-last flat names the major key (B♭ E♭ → B♭ major); one flat is F major.
• Every key signature is shared by a major key and its relative minor, 3 half steps lower: G major and E minor both have one sharp.
• There are 15 major and 15 minor key signatures, from 7 flats (C♭ major, A♭ minor) to 7 sharps (C♯ major, A♯ minor).

What is a key signature in music theory?

A key signature is the group of sharps or flats written just after the clef at the start of every line. Each one applies to every note of that letter, in every octave, for the whole piece, so you do not need an accidental each time. It also tells you the key: one sharp (F♯) means G major or E minor.

A piece can change key part-way through; the new key signature then appears after a double measure line, often with naturals cancelling the old one.

Key signatures chart: all 15 major keys and their minors

Sharp keys first, then flat keys. Each line of the chart is one key signature, shared by a major key and its relative minor.

Every major and minor key signature (treble clef)

Key signature	Sharps or flats	Which notes	Major key	Relative minor
	no sharps or flats	–	C major	A minor
	1 sharp	F♯	G major	E minor
	2 sharps	F♯ C♯	D major	B minor
	3 sharps	F♯ C♯ G♯	A major	F♯ minor
	4 sharps	F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯	E major	C♯ minor
	5 sharps	F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯	B major	G♯ minor
	6 sharps	F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯	F♯ major	D♯ minor
	7 sharps	F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯	C♯ major	A♯ minor
	1 flat	B♭	F major	D minor
	2 flats	B♭ E♭	B♭ major	G minor
	3 flats	B♭ E♭ A♭	E♭ major	C minor
	4 flats	B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭	A♭ major	F minor
	5 flats	B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭	D♭ major	B♭ minor
	6 flats	B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭	G♭ major	E♭ minor
	7 flats	B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭	C♭ major	A♭ minor

How do you find the key from a key signature?

For sharp keys, find the last sharp (furthest right) and go up one half step: the last sharp in A major is G♯, and G♯ up a half step is A. For flat keys, the second-to-last flat is the key: B♭ E♭ A♭ means E♭ major. One flat is F major, and no sharps or flats is C major.

Major or minor? The relative minor is 3 half steps below the major key. To tell which one a piece is in, look at the last note (often the key note) and look for the raised 7th of the minor: a G♯ appearing with no key signature points to A minor rather than C major.

Key signature finder

Choose the number of sharps or flats and a clef: the finder draws the key signature and names the major and minor key, its neighbours and its chords.

Key signature no sharps or flats (C major)1 sharp (G major)2 sharps (D major)3 sharps (A major)4 sharps (E major)5 sharps (B major)6 sharps (F♯ major)7 sharps (C♯ major)1 flat (F major)2 flats (B♭ major)3 flats (E♭ major)4 flats (A♭ major)5 flats (D♭ major)6 flats (G♭ major)7 flats (C♭ major)Clef Treble clefBass clefFind the key

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What is the order of sharps and flats?

Sharps are always added in the order F C G D A E B, and flats in the reverse order, B E A D G C F. A popular way to remember them is “Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle” for the sharps and “Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’s Father” for the flats.

Because the order never changes, a key with three sharps always has F♯, C♯ and G♯ – never any other three. The flats spell the word BEAD, followed by G, C and F.

Where do the sharps and flats go in the bass clef?

The order is the same in the bass clef, but every sharp and flat sits one line or one space lower on the staff than in the treble clef (and two octaves lower in pitch). The first sharp, F♯, is on the fourth line of the bass staff instead of the top line, and the first flat, B♭, is on the second line instead of the middle line.

How do you write a key signature?

Write a key signature straight after the clef, before the time signature, on every line. Add the sharps or flats in their fixed order (F C G D A E B for sharps), each on its own line or space, and keep them inside the staff without ledger lines: in the treble clef the sharps zig-zag down and up from the top line, F♯ first.

1. Draw the clef.
2. Work out how many sharps or flats the key has (the chart above, or count round the circle of fifths).
3. Write them left to right in order, at the same heights every time.
4. Then write the time signature, and only then the notes.

Do accidentals override the key signature?

Yes. An accidental (a sharp, flat or natural written before a note) overrides the key signature for that note until the end of the measure. In the next measure the key signature applies again. A key signature, by contrast, applies to every octave of that letter for the whole piece.

Many editions add a “courtesy” accidental in the next measure as a reminder. In minor keys you will often see accidentals for the raised 7th – G♯ in A minor – because it is never part of the key signature.

Why do some keys sound the same?

Some keys sound the same because they are enharmonic: the same notes with different names. B major (5 sharps) sounds the same as C♭ major (7 flats), F♯ major (6 sharps) as G♭ major (6 flats), and C♯ major (7 sharps) as D♭ major (5 flats). That is why there are 15 key signatures but only 12 different-sounding major keys.

Composers usually choose the version with fewer sharps or flats, so D♭ major is far more common than C♯ major. See how they join up at the bottom of the circle of fifths.

Key signatures quiz: name the major key

Marked by Classfern Ten key signatures, from no sharps or flats up to seven. Name the major key. Questions are made fresh each time by the Classfern lesson engine; your answers stay on this device.

Clef Treble clefBass clefStart the quiz

Key signatures facts quiz

Marked by Classfern 5 multiple-choice questions on the Classfern lesson engine. Your answers stay on this device.

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Classfern’s free key signature chart is part of the Classfern Music Department at lessonplanner.info. The key signatures are drawn with the same code as the Classfern reading course.

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