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Objective

To compose a ground bass piece, you will need to:

  • Understand keys, so you can choose a key for your piece.
  • Recognise the notes and degrees of the scale so you can choose suitable notes for your ground bass line.

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E.g. Pachelbel’s Canon is in D major and the ground bass is composed of these notes:

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- Which are the most common degrees of the scale in Pachelbel’s bass line?

- Identify the degrees of the scale in a different key

e.g. C major, G major, F major etc.

Note

D

A

B

F

G

D

G

A

Degree of the Scale

I

V

VI

III

IV

I

IV

V

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Key Signatures

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Key signatures are helpful, because they tell us how music has been constructed, especially melody (tunes) and harmony (chords).

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They can tell us this information only if they are written accurately.

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Sharp Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a sharp key signature:

Take the last sharp and ‘go up one step’

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats
  3. Identify the key

F#

G major

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Sharp Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a sharp key signature:

Take the last sharp and ‘go up one step’

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats c) Identify the key

F# C#

D major

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Sharp Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a sharp key signature:

Take the last sharp and ‘go up one step’

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats c) Identify the key

F# C# G#

A major

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Sharp Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a sharp key signature:

Take the last sharp and ‘go up one step’

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats c) Identify the key

F# C# G# D#

E major

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Sharp Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a sharp key signature:

Take the last sharp and ‘go up one step’

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats c) Identify the key

F# C# G# D# A#

B major

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Sharp Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a sharp key signature:

Take the last sharp and ‘go up one step’

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats c) Identify the key

F# C# G# D# A# E#

F# major

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Flat Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a flat key signature:

Take the last flat and ‘go back a flat’

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats c) Identify the key

Bb Eb

B flat major

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Flat Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a flat key signature:

Take the last flat and ‘go back a flat’

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats c) Identify the key

Bb Eb Ab

E flat major

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Flat Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a flat key signature:

Take the last flat and ‘go back a flat’

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats c) Identify the key

Bb Eb Ab Db

A flat major

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Flat Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a flat key signature:

Take the last flat and ‘go back a flat’

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats c) Identify the key

Bb Eb Ab Db Gb

D flat major

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Flat Key Signatures

To work out the major key from a flat key signature:

Take the last flat and ‘go back a flat’

Except for this key (the exception to the rule)

  1. Write the key signature accurately
  2. Label the sharps / flats c) Identify the key

Bb

F major