Lesson 21: Key Signatures and the Natural Sign
Category: Lessons, Music Theory
Now that we know all about key signatures, we really need to know more about playing music with a key signature. Remember that a key signature consists of 1 or more sharps or flats. This group of sharps or flats is located at the beginning of the music. And what does this group mean? Well, it means the notes located in the key signature are ALWAYS played sharp or ALWAYS played flat. Or are they….. *insert eerie music here *….
Well, in fact, you can change the note back to it’s original or NATURAL state IN the music. How, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you! With a NATURAL sign. Nice and intuitive, right? In case you haven’t guessed already, a natural sign looks like the symbol on the left. OK, so how does this work? Lets say you have a key signature that contains an F# and a C# (Like the music below). In the music below, in the second measure the first C is marked as a natural. These means it should not be played sharp, but in it’s natural state: on the white key. In FACT, and this is an interesting and important tidbit to know, when a note is marked natural, it remains natural for the rest of the measure! So, in the piece of music below, BOTH of the C’s in the second measure should be played natural. Similarly, in the 3rd measure. In the 4th measure, the first C should be played sharp, and the second C should be played natural.
OK folks, well thats how naturals work with a key signature. Check out the worksheets section for downloads of practice sheets.
Posted on March 16th, 2009 by sharlene
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