How do you remember the key signature order? It’s actually pretty clever, because it is pretty much the same words as the order of sharps mnemonic, but backward. “Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father” However, if you want the sharps and flats sayings to work together, you might want to go with this one: Here is the mnemonic phrase I’ve seen in many theory books for the order of flats: This is how the flats are written on the staff (once again, the order stays the same for both bass clef and treble clef, but the placement on the staff is slightly different): What is the saying for remembering the order of flats? Just like sharps, there are seven flats and this is the order you want to memorize. Interestingly, the order of flats is the exact opposite of the order of sharps: “Fast Cars Go Dangerously Around Every Bend” “Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle” And as a piano teacher, I know that kids usually get a kick out of this one. “Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Bananas” is my personal favorite. I’ll start by showing you my favorite, and then a few others I’ve seen. There are actually quite a few sayings out there for both the sharps and the flats. This is how the order of sharps is written on the staff (note that the order stays the same for both bass clef and treble clef, but the placement on the staff is slightly different): What is the rhyme that helps you remember the order of sharps? There are seven sharps and this is the order you want to memorize. That is why it is important to understand and memorize the order of sharps and flats. The fact that they have this many sharps and flats is unchanging, and the reason has to do with their order. These key signatures are not random at all.

Rather, the order of sharps and flats has to do with the different musical keys. It will greatly help you as you learn to read music better! What is the Order of Sharps and the Order of Flats?įirst of all, what is this “order” anyway? Well, let’s get one thing clear: it is not the order that sharps and flats appear on the piano. As you learn music theory, there’s a good chance you will stumble upon something known as the “order of sharps” and “order of flats.” The order of sharps and flats is a concept that is very important to learn, no matter what instrument you play.

Flat order