While trying to think of a way to help my students learn key signatures better, I thought of my elementary school days when our entire class daily chanted our phonics charts and multiplication table charts. Those sounds and facts were drilled into me and I will never forget them! It occurred to me that perhaps a Key Signature Chart could serve the same purpose. So I decided to create one so that I can give it a try.
The chart is designed so that one side has all the sharp keys and the other side has all the flat keys. My plan is to have my students say, “This is the key signature of C Major and a minor. It has no sharps and no flats.” Another example would be, “This is the key signature of B Major and g-sharp minor. It has five sharps – F#,C#,G#,D#,A#.” I thought it might also be helpful to have a blank chart to test students on their knowledge once they’ve learned all the key signatures. Here are the various key signature files I created that are available to download and print for free (the larger size can be used as a wall poster; the smaller size can be placed in the front of a student assignment book):
Key Signature Chart – 11×17″
Key Signature Chart – 8.5×11″
Key Signature Chart-Blank – 11×17″
Key Signature Chart-Blank – 8.5×11″
Ooooh, I really like this and I’m definitely going to use it for some of my piano students! Thank you very much for sharing so many wonderful teaching ideas in this blog!
You’re welcome, Cathrine! I’m glad you like it!
Are you familiar with the acronym for remembering the order of sharps: “Ford Cards Go Dead At Every Bump?” 3 sharps in the key signature? Ford Cars Go – F#, C#, G#.
Using that has been helpful for my students. In particular, young trumpet players have a hard time identifying the G# in key signatures because they aren’t used to reading notes that high.
I haven’t heard that one. The one I heard and have used with my students is: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle. The flats, of course, are reversed: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles Father.
They get a kick out of it!
What a fantastic gem! Also, I never learned those saying for sharps. For flats I always learned BEAD Good Clean Fun. Thanks for this!
Here are two acronyms for the key signatures:
Sharps: Go Down And Enter By F#or C#harlie
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Flats: Flat Bears Eat Apple Dumplings
1 2 3 4 5
Greedily
6
Students memorize these two lines and then just count the number of flats or sharps and the first letter of each word is the answer! The last two sharp keys must include the sharp in the name (F# and C#) and all the flats include a flat in the key name except the first one.
This method works very well. Often, students who struggle with difficult concepts ace this exercise.
Example: What key has 3 sharps?
Answer: Go Down And. The word “And” is the third word and therefore the answer is A major because “A” is the first letter of “And”. Easy!
We always used Father Charles Goes Downtown After Eating Breakfast. Same kind of idea just took the military out of it.
Is there a “blank” for the “flats”? I only saw the “sharps”.
Oops! Don’t know how that happened, Sharon. The link should now open a blank chart that has both flats and sharps. Thanks for letting me know about the missing flats!
These charts are brilliant! I work with the same system with my students, so these will be invaluable. Thanks!
It’s funny to see everyone else’s acronyms… I always grew up with Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Bugs. I really like yours though, Natalie, because you just say it backwards for the flats and it still makes sense!
very good worksheet design
just wanna share another idea given by my students:
Sharps’ sequence:
Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle
Flats’ sequence:
Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father