Key signature game
Key Sprint: learn your key signatures
See the sharps or flats at the start of the staff and name the key. Start with easy major keys and work up to all 15 major and minor keys, in treble and bass clef.
Free to play. No account or download. Works on computers, tablets, and phones.
How it works
- A key signature appears on the staff. Pick the key from four choices, or press 1 to 4 on your keyboard.
- After every answer you see which sharps or flats the key has, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
- Ten questions a round. Score 9 out of 10 to open the next level.
- The cheatsheet shows the circle of fifths and the order of sharps and flats. It retires after you pass three levels.
What you'll practice
Major and minor keys
Start with major keys. Minor keys unlock once you get there. Each level opens when you score 9 of 10 on the one before it.
- Easy major keysUp to three sharps or flats
- All major keysAll 15 major keys
- Minor keysName the minor key from its signature
Bass clef and relatives
Read keys in the bass clef and pair each major key with its relative minor. These open once you pass Minor keys.
- Major keys, bass clefAll 15 major keys in the bass clef
- Minor keys, bass clefAll 15 minor keys in the bass clef
- Relative minor quizPair each major key with its relative minor, and back again
Maestro mode Premium
Everything mixed together, in both clefs.
- Key MaestroMajor, minor, and relatives in both clefs, all mixed
How to read a key signature
Sharps and flats always come in the same order
Sharps: F C G D A E B (Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds). Flats are the same letters backwards: B E A D G C F (Spells the word BEAD and add GCF, I even sometimes just pronounce it "Bead Guh Cuh Fuh"). A key with three sharps always has F♯, C♯, and G♯.
The sharp-key shortcut
Go up a half step from the last sharp. In a key of two sharps they are F# and C# (Fat Cats ...), the last sharp here is C#, and a half step up is D, so two sharps is D major.
The flat-key shortcut
The second-to-last flat names the key. With 3 flats in the key, they are B♭, E♭, and A♭, the second-to-last is E♭, so three flats is E♭ major. One flat has no second-to-last, so remember that one: it is F major.
Major or minor?
Every key signature belongs to a major key and a minor key, called relatives. To find the relative minor, go down three half steps from the major key: C major and A minor share no sharps or flats, and D major and B minor share two sharps.
Free and Premium
Free
Major and minor keys, then bass clef keys and the relative minor quiz. Each level opens at 9 of 10.
Premium $9.99, one time
Key Maestro and every level open from day one.
Questions
How many key signatures are there?
Fifteen, from seven flats to seven sharps, counting C major's empty signature. Each one names a major key and a minor key. Three pairs sound the same but are written differently, like F♯ major and G♭ major.
Does Key Sprint cover the bass clef?
Yes. Once you pass the Minor keys level, the bass clef levels and the relative minor quiz open for free.
Is Key Sprint free?
Yes. Every level except Key Maestro is free. Premium opens every level from day one and adds Key Maestro, which mixes everything in both clefs.
Do I need to read notes first?
It helps to know the note names on the staff. If they are still new, start with Clef Quest.
Keep going
Knowing your keys makes intervals easier: going up from any note, the major and perfect intervals land on that note's major scale. Try it in Interval Leap. Premium also includes a printable circle of fifths with every key signature in treble and bass clef.