Key

The lever by which the sounds of a pianoforte, organ, or hamoonium are produced. Also an arrangement by which certain holes are opened and closed in flutes, oboes, and other wind instruments. A key also means a scale, or series of notes progressing diatonically, in a certain order of tones and semi-tones, the first note of the scale being called the Key-note. [Elson, Louis C. Professor of Theory of Music at the New England Conservatory of Music. Elson's Music Dictionary. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co. MCMV.]

The signature of these keys would be as follows:

7 sharps - C Sharp major, A sharp minor

6 Sharps - F sharp major, D sharp minor

5 Sharps - B major, G sharp minor

4 Sharps - E major, C sharp minor

3 Sharps - A major, F sharp minor

2 Sharps - D major, B minor

1 Sharp - G major, E minor

No Signature - C major, A minor

1 Flat - F major, D minor

2 Flats - B flat major, G minor

3 Flats - E flat major, C minor

4 Flats - A flat major, F minor

5 Flats - D flat major, B flat minor

6 Flats - G flat major, E flat minor

7 Flats - C flat major, A flat minor

A L S O:
Fundamental Key

Governing Key

Major Key. That scale or key in which the third from the tonic is major.

Minor Key. That scale or key in which the third from the tonic is minor.

Natural Key. That which has neither sharp nor flat at the signature.

Authentic Key. Keys in the ancient system of the Greeks, whose tones, extend from the tonic to the fifth and octave above.

Chromatic Keys. The black keys of a pianoforte; every key in whose scale one or more so-called chromatic tones occur, and in which a chromatic signature is requisite.

Parallel Keys

Pedal Keys

Plagal Keys

Relative Keys

Remote Keys

Key-tone

Tuning Key

Tonic - The key-note of any scale; the chief, fundamental ground-tone, or first note, of the scale.