Fundamentals
Key Signatures and the Order of Sharps and Flats
Sharps arrive in the order F C G D A E B and flats in reverse. The order is the circle of fifths written out, one signature at a time.
Sharp (♯)
An accidental that raises a note by one semitone, written as ♯ before the note head.
Also called: sharp sign
A sharp (♯) raises the pitch of a note by one semitone, the smallest step on the piano. On the keyboard the sharp of a note is the key immediately above it, so C♯ is the black key just above C, and F♯ is the black key just above F. A sharp in the key signature alters every F in the piece. A sharp written before a note alters that note for the rest of the measure, in the same octave. Sharps are added to key signatures in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B. G major has one sharp, F♯, and D major has two, F♯ and C♯. A sharp and the flat of the next letter name above it share a key, so C♯ and D♭ are enharmonic.
Related terms
- Flat (♭)An accidental that lowers a note by one semitone, written as ♭ before the note head.
- AccidentalA sign before a note that raises or lowers its pitch by a semitone, or cancels an earlier sign, relative to the key signature.
- Double sharp (𝄪)An accidental that raises a note by two semitones, written as a cross sign or as two sharps before the note head.
- Key signatureThe sharps or flats written after the clef that set which notes are altered throughout a piece unless cancelled.