BASIC THEORY OF MUSIC AND TRANSPOSING GUIDE

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TABLE OF KEYS

The Table of Keys uses a musical numbering based on majo

r scale, which substitues numbers instead of letters to identify the note of the scale.

DO=1, RE=2, MI=3, FA=4, SOL=5, LA=6, SI=7, DO=8(1)

Major Scale
12345671
DO RE MI FA SOL LA SI DO

H W H
W = Whole Step
W W W W W
H = Half Step

Universal Key (#11) (#5)

(scale degress)
1 (b9)
(b2) 2(b9) 3 4(11) (#4)
b5
5 (b6) 6(13) 7 1(8)

TONIC 12 HALF-STEP IN EACH OCTAVES (CHROMATIC SCALE) OCTAVES

D# F# G#
C Db D Eb
E F Gb
G Ab
A Bb B C
E G A
Db Ebb Eb Fb F Gb Abb Ab Bbb Bb Cb C Db
E# G# A#
D Eb E F
F# G Ab A Bb B C C# D
F# A B
Eb Fb F Gb G Ab Bbb Bb Cb C Db D Eb
F# A# B#
E F F# G
G# A Bb B C
C# D D# E
G# B C#
F Gb G Ab A Bb Cb B Db
D Eb E F
G B# C
F# G G# A A# B C
C D D# E E# F#
A C D
Gb Abb Ab Bbb Bb Cb Dbb C# Ebb Eb Fb F Gb
A# C# D#
G Ab A Bb B C Db
Db Eb
E F F# G
B D E
Ab Bbb Bb C C Db Ebb D Fb F Gb G Ab
B# D# E#
A Bb B C
C# D Eb E F
F# G G# A
C# E F#
Bb Cb C Db D Eb Fb E Gb
G Ab A Bb
C E# F
B C C# D D# E F
F G G# A A# B

I bII II bIII III IV bV V bVI VI bVII VII I

Roman Numeral & Chord Charts; Professional studio musician (who must be able to play on sight from charts in any
key) often use a handy system music notation known as “The Nashville System” for writing ang playing chord charts.
The Roman Numeral, represent Major Chord built off any scale degree; other chords are shown by a Roman numeral
followed by the abbreviation for that chord type.