Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In musical notation, the sharps or flats placed at the head of the staff to indicate the tonality of the piece and the black digitals to be used in performing it upon the keyboard. See key, 7 , and signature.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The same key-signature may stand for either one of two keys, the major key, or its relative minor, hence in order to determine in what key a melody is one must note whether the tones are grouped about the major tonic DO or the minor tonic LA.

    Music Notation and Terminology Karl Wilson Gehrkens 1928

  • _ -- The student is advised to recite the _harmonic form_ of the minor scale as was suggested in the case of the major scale, noting that the "raised seventh" does not affect the key-signature.

    Music Notation and Terminology Karl Wilson Gehrkens 1928

  • G-clef and F-clef; construction of major scale (without key-signature), note-values, and rhythm (different rhythms with the same meter), normal, harmonic, and melodic minor scales (without key-signatures); key-signatures; notation of chromatic scale with each key-signature; intervals; definitions of terms most frequently used in music.

    University of Virginia Record 1914

  • G-clef and F-clef; construction of major scale (without key-signature), note-values, and rhythm (different rhythms with the same meter), normal, harmonic, and melodic minor scales (without key-signatures); key-signatures; notation of chromatic scale with each key-signature; intervals; definitions of terms most frequently used in music.

    University of Virginia Record 1913

  • Purcell frequently set a double bar at the end of a section, and makes two or more numbers where a modern composer would simply change the tempo and key-signature and go straight on, so that the scrappiness is only apparent.

    Purcell Runciman, John F 1909

  • Purcell frequently set a double bar at the end of a section, and makes two or more numbers where a modern composer would simply change the tempo and key-signature and go straight on, so that the scrappiness is only apparent.

    Purcell John F. Runciman 1891

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