Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom

Section 22.5 How to Recognize a Key After a Modulation

1. Look for recurring accidentals, then add them to the key signature to determine the new key

   1. Lowered notes (like flats) usually create \(\hat{4} \) (as do the flats in key signatures)

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   2. Raised notes (like sharps) often create \(\hat{7} \), the leading tone

      1. If there are multiple raised notes, look for the “sharpest of sharps” (in key signature order) to determine which sharp is acting as \(\hat{7} \)

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2. If accidentals are canceled out, they indicate tonicizations or chromatic non-chord tones

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