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MusicKeySignature[alts]

returns a key signature with the specified altered pitch alts.

MusicKeySignature[…,properties]

returns a key signature with the specified property association properties.

Details
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MusicKeySignature

MusicKeySignature[alts]

returns a key signature with the specified altered pitch alts.

MusicKeySignature[…,properties]

returns a key signature with the specified property association properties.

Details

  • MusicKeySignature is a function for specifying key signatures in symbolic music, enabling accurate pitch representation and notation.
  • MusicKeySignature represents a musical key signature, indicating which pitches are altered.
  • The pitch alterations alts can be specified using:
  • scalea named scale or MusicScale object
    intthe major key with tonic n fifths away from "C"
    rulesa list of rules specifying accidentals for pitch keys
  • The association properties can contain the following keys:
  • "Fifths"number of fifths away from "C"
    "AlterationRules"list of rules specifying accidentals on keys
  • For a key signature object obj, any of the above properties can be obtained using obj["prop"]. Use obj["PropertyAssociation"] to retrieve the values of all available properties.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (4)

Create an E minor key signature inferred from the pitch list in a MusicScale:

Wolfram Language code: MusicKeySignature[MusicScale["EMinor"]]

Create an E major key signature by specifying the number of fifth intervals away from "C":

Wolfram Language code: MusicKeySignature[4]

Create a key signature with custom accidentals, such as this one sometimes employed by Bela Bartok:

Wolfram Language code: MusicKeySignature[{"F" -> 1, "B" -> -1}]

Construct the key signature with properties specified in an Association:

Wolfram Language code: MusicKeySignature[<|"Fifths" -> 1|>]

Scope  (4)

List all available properties:

Wolfram Language code: MusicKeySignature[0]["Properties"]

Retrieve all properties and their values:

Wolfram Language code: %%["PropertyAssociation"]//Dataset

Retrieve the "AlterationRules" property from a key signature:

Wolfram Language code: MusicKeySignature[4]
Wolfram Language code: %["AlterationRules"]

Retrieve the "Fifths" property from a key signature:

Wolfram Language code: MusicKeySignature[{"F" -> 1}]
Wolfram Language code: %["Fifths"]

The value may be Automatic if the key signature does not represent a diatonic major or minor scale:

Wolfram Language code: MusicKeySignature[{"G" -> 1}]
Wolfram Language code: %["Fifths"]

Create a MusicMeasure object with an E major key signature:

Wolfram Language code: MusicMeasure[{"G#", "A"}, <|"KeySignature" -> MusicKeySignature[4]|>]

Multiple measures in a voice can have different key signatures:

Wolfram Language code: MusicVoice[{MusicMeasure[{"G#", "A"}, <|"KeySignature" -> MusicKeySignature[4]|>], MusicMeasure[{"A", "B"}, <|"KeySignature" -> MusicKeySignature[1]|>]}]

Properties & Relations  (2)

Use a key signature to respell accidentals with MusicTransform:

Wolfram Language code: MusicTransform[MusicNote /@ {"D#", "G", "A#"}, {"NormalizeAccidentals", MusicKeySignature[-3]}]

A key signature can be created from the pitch list in a MusicScale:

Wolfram Language code: ks = MusicKeySignature[MusicScale["EMinor"]]

Use MusicMeasurements to create a scale from a key signature:

Wolfram Language code: MusicMeasurements[ks, "MajorScale"]
Wolfram Research (2026), MusicKeySignature, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicKeySignature.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2026), MusicKeySignature, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicKeySignature.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2026. "MusicKeySignature." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicKeySignature.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2026). MusicKeySignature. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicKeySignature.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_musickeysignature, author="Wolfram Research", title="{MusicKeySignature}", year="2026", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicKeySignature.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_musickeysignature, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={MusicKeySignature}, year={2026}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicKeySignature.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}