This document discusses key signatures and how they are constructed based on major and minor scales. It explains that a key signature is a series of tones and semitones determined by whether the scale is major or minor. It provides the formula for the order of tones and semitones in a major scale and uses it to construct the A major scale as an example. It also gives the formula for a natural minor scale and constructs the A minor scale as an example.

1. Lesson 2: Constructing Key signatures
Cylent Beatz Production

2.  A semitone or half step is the movement of
sharpening or flattening a note.
C > C# C > Cb
 A tone or whole step consists of two semitone
steps.
C C > D C > B

3.  Key signatures are constructed using a series of
tones and semitones.
 The order of which are determined by the quality of
the scale. For example, whether it is major or
minor.
 A keyboard can help in working out the steps.

4.  The order of these steps for the major scale are:
 T, T, S, T, T, T, S T = Tone S = Semitone
 Using that formula to construct A major:
 A – B - C# - D – E - F# - G# - A

5.  The order of these steps for the natural minor scale
are:
 T, S, T, T, S, T, T T = Tone S = Semitone
 Using that formula to construct A minor:
 A – B - C - D – E - F - G – A
 There exist other minor scales.

6.  There are three minor scales, natural, harmonic
and melodic.
 The harmonic minor is the same as the natural
minor scale except that the seventh degree is
raised by a semitone.
 So, A harmonic minor will be as follows:
 A – B - C - D – E - F – G# – A

7.  For the melodic minor scale, take the natural minor
and raise both the sixth degree and seventh degree
by a semitone.
 A melodic minor scale:
 A – B - C - D – E – F# – G# – A