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Music theory basics · updated 2026-08-16

KEY AND KEY SIGNATURE

The home pitch a piece gravitates to, plus the sharps or flats written at the start of the staff that spell out its scale.

Close-up of handwritten sheet music and a pencil on a piano music desk

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for key and key signature — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material.

RELATED TERMS IN MUSIC THEORY BASICS

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