To learn more about these patterns, have a look at Learn the circle of fifths. Or if a key signature has 2 flats, those flats will always be Bb and Eb.

Put another way, if you see a key signature with 1 flat symbol, that flat will always be Bb (the first phrase word). The other interesting thing about this phrase / pattern is that given any flat symbol in the key signature, the symbols before that symbol will always exist.įor example, if a key signature has note Fb (last phrase word / symbol), then it will always have the other 6 symbols before it.Īnother example - if a key signature has a Db (4th word / symbol), then it will always have the first 3 symbols before it. Now take the 4th note of the major scale whose tonic is A - the A major scale - this is note D (the 4th word of the phrase), and so on. Now take the 4th note of the major scale whose tonic is E - the E major scale - this is note A (the 3rd word of the phrase). Taking the 1st letter of the 1st word in the phrase - B, the 4th note of the major scale with its name as the tonic - B major scale is note E (the 2nd word of the phrase). order for key signature symbol placement is not accidental, and follows a variation of the Circle of fifths music theory pattern called the Circle of fourths. Then the same for Eb in the second position, and so on for all the words in the phrase.

So if the scale contains note Bb, this is always the first flat key signature symbol shown next to the treble or bass clef in the note B staff position(middle line). įor a flat-based key signature (like this scale), the order is easily remembered using the following phrase, whose first letters indicate the note name to be flattened: The key signature symbols are always shown in the same order, no matter what the order of the actual notes on the staff. The key signature is set of sharps or flats (never mixed) shown after the treble or bass clef on the musical staff.

This step shows the order in which the symbols of a flat key signature must be placed next to the treble and bass clef.

Flat key symbol