The course › Unit 9: Scales and technique
Lesson 51 of 72 · An F♯ and your first key signature
Apply the major scale formula (W W H W W W H) starting on G: G, A, B, C, D, E… and there’s a problem. Between E and F there’s only a half step, but you need a whole step; and between F and G, you need a half step.
The fix: replace F with F♯. The G major scale: G A B C D E F♯ G.
G major in the right hand: F♯ falls under finger 4.
Tip: The right-hand fingering is the same as in C: 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4-5. The left hand too: 5-4-3-2-1, 3-2-1.
The G scale, with F♯ under finger 4. Here, the sharp is written before each F.
Writing a ♯ before every F would be tedious. Instead, it’s written just once, right after the clef: that’s the key signature. A sharp on the F line means: every F is an F♯, in every octave, until the end of the piece.
A key signature with one sharp also tells you the key: G major.
F♯ is no longer written before the note: the key signature takes care of it.
In the bass clef, the sharp of the key signature sits on the 4th line, the F line.
Watch out: Before you play a piece, always look at the key signature: it’s the first thing pianists read.
Did you know?: The Minuet in G, which you’ll play at the end of this lesson, was long credited to Bach. Today we know it was written by Christian Petzold, an organist from Dresden. It appears in the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725), the music book of Bach’s wife.
The F has no written sharp anymore, but you play F♯. Fingering: 5-4-3-2-1, finger 3 crosses over the thumb, 3-2-1.
All these notes are written with the key signature of G major: every F is an F♯!
The Minuet in G: a dance in three, full of bits of scales and F♯s. Right hand alone; the computer plays the chords. Spot the F♯s (measures 3, 7, 11 and 15), and get ready for each change of position during the quarter notes.
← Lesson 50: The C major scale Lesson 52: The F major scale →