If, in the piece being studied, we find a sharpened leading note then we may be confident that we are in the minor scale represented by the key signature (Example 2).Įxample 2 in the key of G minor (Schumann "Faschingsschwank aus Wien op. This also makes the dominant chord a major triad rather than a minor one. For centuries now composers in the Western tradition have sharpened the leading note in minor scales in order to achieve this sense of natural resolution in those scales as well. In a minor scale, however, the leading note is a tone away from the tonic and so there is not the same feel of natural resolution. In a major scale the leading note is a semitone from the tonic and this close proximity creates a sense of natural resolution from leading note to tonic. (In the example from Schumann, the tonic chord of D major appears repeatedly).Įxample 1 in D major ( Schumann "Papillons op.2 finale")Ģ) The presence of a sharpened leading note. Another indication may be the persistent presence of the tonic note. We proceed by verifying the presence of the notes belonging to the tonic chord of both tonalities, whether in the melody or the accompaniment. In these cases, after having determined the two possible keys (major or minor) one must analyse the first few bars of the piece taking the following factors into consideration.ġ) The presence of the tonic triad or tonic note. Nonetheless there are some cases where there may be difficulty saying for certain whether a piece is in the major or the relative minor represented by a key signature. All that is necessary is to look at the key signature and to name the two possible keys the major and the relative minor. It is not difficult to work out the key of a piece of music.
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