MusicianCV · TRTesting a centre with a tonic pedal
Open the interactive module
Tonal centres and signatures
Testing a centre with a tonic pedal · Dm / F → D → F
A key signature sets default accidentals. Listen to phrase endings and accompaniment to establish the tonal centre. Different centres can share a signature.
Example
Key or operation / check · Dm / F / D → F
Key or operation / checkDm / F D → F
Try it
Is the signature alone sufficient to choose between two candidate keys?
Answer
Look for a cadential phrase and bass motion. Distinguish local alterations from the signature.Related topics
Parallel major and minorReferences
Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom · Further reading
Subject-expert review pending.