23. 24. 26. 27. GRADE 1 (Primary) 5 The second of the two tetrachords above may now be taken to form the first or lower tetrachord of a new major scale. This is done by adding four notes above it: semitone SS But it will be seen that, in order to preserve the correct order of tones and semitones, the distance between the third and fourth notes of the second tetrachord should be a semitone, not a tone. To achieve this a sharp (#) must be placed before the note F to raise it a semitone (te-doh’). Thus, in all major scales except G major, there is at least one note which has to be sharpened or flattened whenever it occurs, in order to preserve the correct order of tones and semitones. To sharpen or flatten. notes each time they occur would be complicated and confusing, so the sharps or flats are grouped together and written immediately after the clef at the beginning of each line. This indicates the Key—the set of notes on which the piece is built, each note having a definite relation to a note known as the key-note. The group of sharps or flats is called the Key-signature. Any sharps or flats occurring in the course of a piece other than those in the key-signature are called Accidentals. The scale of G Major may therefore be written with its key-signature : mc SS