Key signatures chart
Every key signature on one page: the fifteen major keys, sharps and flats side by side by number, each with the minor key that shares it. The order of sharps is F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯; the order of flats is the same backwards. The circle of fifths shows how they connect.
C majorA minor
no sharps or flats
G majorE minor
one sharp, F♯
F majorD minor
one flat, B♭
D majorB minor
two sharps, F♯ and C♯
B♭ majorG minor
two flats, B♭ and E♭
A majorF♯ minor
three sharps, F♯, C♯ and G♯
E♭ majorC minor
three flats, B♭, E♭ and A♭
E majorC♯ minor
four sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯
A♭ majorF minor
four flats, B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭
B majorG♯ minor
five sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯
D♭ majorB♭ minor
five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭
F♯ majorD♯ minor
six sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯
G♭ majorE♭ minor
six flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭ and C♭
C♯ majorA♯ minor
seven sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯ and B♯
C♭ majorA♭ minor
seven flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭ and F♭
How the chart is laid out
The keys go from no sharps or flats to seven, a sharp key and a flat key side by side at each count: G major and F major with one, D major and B♭ major with two, and so on. Each box shows the signature on the treble staff and the bass staff, because the sharps and flats sit on different lines in each clef. The major key is in bold and its relative minor, which shares the signature, is next to it.
Sharps are always added in the same order, F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯, and flats in the reverse order, B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭. A signature with three sharps is always the first three: F♯, C♯ and G♯. Learn the two orders and the rest of the chart follows from them.
Questions
How do I tell the key from a key signature?
With sharps, the major key is a half step above the last sharp: three sharps end on G♯, so the key is A major. With flats, the major key is the second-to-last flat: three flats are B♭ E♭ A♭, so the key is E♭ major. One flat is F major, and no sharps or flats is C major.
Why do the sharps and flats sit lower on the bass staff?
They mark the same notes in both clefs, but each line of the bass staff names a letter two steps higher than the same line of the treble staff: the bottom line is G instead of E. So each note sits one line lower, and the whole pattern moves down with it: F♯ is on the top line of the treble staff and the 4th line of the bass staff.
Why are there 15 major keys but only 12 notes?
Some keys can be written two ways. B and C♭ major, F♯ and G♭ major, and C♯ and D♭ major sound the same: B major has five sharps and C♭ major seven flats, but they are played on the same keys. The chart shows both spellings.