Key Trainer
Name major and minor keys, build key signatures, list the sharps and flats, and find your instrument’s key.
Know every key signature at a glance
Key Trainer drills key signatures five ways. Name the major key from a signature, name its relative minor, pick the signature for a named key, list the sharps or flats in a key, or find the key your part is in when the band plays in a concert key. Signatures appear in treble or bass clef.
Beginner covers the band keys F, B♭, E♭, and A♭. Intermediate adds G, C, D♭, and G♭. Advanced uses all 15 major keys. The My key questions work for B♭, E♭, and F instruments, so a clarinet, alto sax, or horn player learns the key they actually read. To check any note or key, use the Transposer.
How to practice
- 01Learn the order of flats first (B E A D G C F), then sharps (F C G D A E B).
- 02For flat keys, the next-to-last flat names the major key. For sharp keys, go up a half step from the last sharp.
- 03To find the relative minor, count down three half steps from the major key name.
- 04Say the sharps or flats out loud in order before you answer.
- 05Move up a level when you get 18 out of 20 in a challenge.
Concert keys and your key
When the director says "concert B♭," every section reads a different key. Clarinets and trumpets read C major, alto saxes read G major, and horns read F major. The sound is the same; the page is different. See concert pitch for why.
A major key and its relative minor share one key signature. B♭ major and G minor both have two flats. The music tells you which one it is: minor pieces usually begin and end on the minor tonic.
Who it's for
Band students learning scales and key signatures, and anyone getting ready for a scale test, chair test, or audition. Directors can assign one question type and level so the whole class practices the same keys.