The order of sharps and flats
Sharps and flats always appear in a key signature in the same order. Learn these two short sequences and you can work out every key signature without memorising them one by one.
The order of sharps: F C G D A E B
F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯
A popular way to remember it: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle. A key with three sharps always has the first three: F♯, C♯ and G♯.
| Sharps | Which ones | Key |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♯ | G major |
| 2 | F♯ C♯ | D major |
| 3 | F♯ C♯ G♯ | A major |
| 4 | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ | E major |
| 5 | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ | B major |
| 6 | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ | F♯ major |
| 7 | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯ | C♯ major |
The order of flats: B E A D G C F
B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭
It’s the order of sharps backwards, so the same sentence works in reverse: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’s Father. The first four flats even spell a word: BEAD.
| Flats | Which ones | Key |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | F major |
| 2 | B♭ E♭ | B♭ major |
| 3 | B♭ E♭ A♭ | E♭ major |
| 4 | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ | A♭ major |
| 5 | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ | D♭ major |
| 6 | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ | G♭ major |
| 7 | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭ | C♭ major |
Naming a key from its signature
- Sharp keys: take the last sharp and go up a half step. Three sharps end on G♯; up a half step is A, so it’s A major.
- Flat keys: the second-to-last flat is the key. Three flats are B♭ E♭ A♭; the second-to-last is E♭, so it’s E♭ major.
- The two to just remember: C major has no sharps or flats, and F major has one flat (B♭).
Reading about it is a start. Ten minutes of practice a day makes it automatic.
Practice the order of sharps →