A KEY TO THE KEYS: PART III - F# MAJOR AND D# MINOR, Harry Farjeon

These are, I am ready to admit, terrible keys. F# is not bad to play. But to read it is undeniably a bit of a corker. Every note sharp except B (even poor inoffensive E has to be sharp now).

Now it is true that the key of F# is seldom used, but it is used rather more frequently than you think. One does not often see that horrific signature of six sharps. But a piece beginning in B major or even E major, or, again, in C# minor or F# minor, might very easily modulate to F# major; and then you would have the key though not the signature.

A Scale with Cadences

Example 1. Our scale this time has a new feature – it is not all in even-length notes. This should suggest to you a whole new dictionary of possibilities; for remember, remember and continue to remember, that in all the work you do for me, or because of me, I want you to be perpetually alive – I want you to think and to make up things so that everything you follow the direction others have pointed out, you have some share in the journey yourself, apart from the mere plodding.

The scale is rather easy to play like this, with a wait on each Tonic. The accents come out the same in every octave and the fingers get used to a certain balance that is never shifted.

The Cadence Chords at the end also are slightly different.

Black Key Exercise

Example 2. Exercise on Black Keys, one note in each hand alternately. This sort of piece is very comforting, for it can be played with the middle fingers.

Five More Examples

Example 3.  This is planned to show the position of the white keys in regard to the blacks, as already explained. Whites leading up and down a semitone to Blacks.

Example 4. An old friend in a new dress. F# is certainly not the key to suit this tune. But nothing is better practice in an unfamiliar key than to read (or play by ear) melodies and chords already well known by sound.

Examples 5 and 5a are examples of when F# major would and would not be used. Example 5 would certainly be written in that key, modulating as it does to A, so far on the sharp side. But if after the first four bars the music went on like 5a, it would be better to write the whole thing in Gb, going to Bb minor instead of A# minor.

Example 6. Bright running passages, very suitable to the key.

If tackled religiously, a fortnight dedicated to each part, these few examples should help you overcome the Key Signatures nightmare. Enjoy!! :-D