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Do You Know All 7 Flat Keys?

PlayPiano Posted on by

Flat Keys – Learn Them All Quickly!

Today we are going to learn all 7 flat keys and the order of the flats.

Click on this link to watch this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P6BQyotOIY&feature=youtu.be

Good morning. This is Duane. We’ve been doing a series called Good Stuff You Really Ought To Know About Music. One thing you absolutely need to know about music is the concept of keys. What does it mean to play in the key of F, or if a song is written in the key of E-flat, what does that mean? Some people go through life and they play the piano, or sing in the choir or something, and they still ask, “How do I know what key this is in?” I just had a guy ask me the other day, “This has two flats, what key is that?” This is so easily solved, that in the next seven minutes; I estimate seven minutes, you’re going to learn all the flat keys. Then tomorrow we’ll take up all the sharp keys.

First of all, what does in mean to play in the key of C? It means the song is based on the scale of C. It’s not that they couldn’t use any other notes. If they use any other notes, they have to say so by way of an accidental, okay. It’s based on the scale of C. What does it mean to play in the key of F? It means it’s based on the scale of F. What does it mean to play in the key of B-flat? It means it’s based on the scale of B-flat. If I play in the key of B-flat, I’ve got those three flats to deal with, don’t I? Two flats in the key of B-flat, sorry. If I play in the key of E-flat, I have three flats. Okay, so let’s learn the order of the flats, and then what all the keys are in, the key signatures.

The order of the flats is real simple to remember, because you just say the word, “BEAD”. Those are the first four flats. B-flat, if there’s one flat, it’s always B-flat. If there’s two flats, it’s always B-flat and E-flat. If there’s three flats in the key signature, it’s always B-flat, E-flat, and A-flat. If there’s four flats in the key signature, it’s always B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, and D-flat, okay. Now if there’s five flats in the key signature, it’s always B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, and G-flat. Now usually you won’t go past that. If you do, if there’s six flats, they’re always B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, G-flat, and C-flat.

If there’s seven flats, which there very seldom are, but if you should encounter that, they’re B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, G-flat, C-flat, and F-flat. I know it looks like B and E, but it’s really a C-flat and F-flat, key-wise, okay. If you have one flat, what is it? It’s always B-flat. If you see one flat in the key signature of a song, it’s B-flat in the key signature. If you have two flats, BE. If you have three, BEA. If you have four, BEAD. That will probably do you for the most part, if you just remember the word BEAD. If you also want to remember the last three flats, say something like, “Go Catch Fish.” The order is BEAD, Go Catch Fish, BEADGCF, okay.

Now if you nave no sharps or flats, you’re in the key of C, because you’re based on that scale of C. If you have one flat, you’re in the key of F, just memorize that. If you see a B-flat in the key signature, you’re in the key of F, because it’s based on that scale of F. After that it’s real easy to remember, because if you see two flats in the key signature, they’re always what? B-flat and E-flat. The second to the last flat is the key. E-flats the last flat, what’s the second to the last flat? B-flat, so you’re in the key of B-flat if you’ve got to flats, B-flat and E-flat. If you have three flats in the key signature, B-flat, E-flat, and A-flat, what key are you in? The second to the last flat, which is E-flat.

If you see four flats in the key signature, B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, and D-flat, what key are you in? You’re in the key of A-flat. If you see five flats in the key signature, B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, and G-flat, what key are you in? That’s right, you’re in the key of D-flat. That’s because it’s based on the scale of D-flat, which has those five flats, right, so I can play more. I can play in the key of D-flat based on those five flats, okay. Remember that, BEAD, Go Catch Fish. That’s the order of the flats. That’s one thing you have to memorize, BEADGCF. Then the second thing you have to memorize is to find the key of a song, take the second to the last flat, and that is the key. The second to the last flat in the key signature is the key.

Now I don’t know if we’ve used up seven minutes or not, but you have learned the order of the flats, and how to find the key of a song in seven minutes or less. Thanks for being with me, and we’ll see you tomorrow with sharp keys.

Click on this link to watch this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P6BQyotOIY&feature=youtu.be

***For lots more good stuff on piano playing come on over to my website at https://www.playpiano.com and sign up for our free piano tips – “Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions!”

Here’s a great little book on chords and chord progressions on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Chords-Chord-Progressions-Exciting-ebook/dp/B0076OUGDE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404158669&sr=1-1&keywords=piano+chords+duane+shinn

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Posted in Flats & sharps, key signatures Tagged , , permalink

About Duane

Duane Shinn (that would be me) has good news for you if you want to play the piano. He (me) has little fat hands & stubby little fingers - not at all suited for playing the piano - more suited to making mud pies or some such. I am also fairly uncoordinated with just average musical ability - certainly not a great piano player. But I've learned a ton about music over the years and people tell me I'm pretty decent at explaining how music works & how to progress more rapidly on the piano. Over the years I have developed about 150 techniques for conquering the piano. Most professional pianists can do these techniques, but very few can explain them in a way people can understand. I specialize in making complex techniques simple. I invite you to watch a few of my free videos and see some of these for yourself before making any decision about taking any of my courses.

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