key signature

American  

noun

Music.

1. (in notation) the group of sharps or flats placed after the clef to indicate the tonality of the music following.

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key signature British  

noun

1. music a group of sharps or flats appearing at the beginning of each stave line to indicate the key in which a piece, section, etc, is to be performed

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Etymology

Origin of key signature

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

For this choreographer, music means everything; his title is a wink, not to the work’s worth, but to its key signature.

From New York Times

Others found fault with the way the U of R group measured the material’s magnetic behavior, a key signature of superconductivity.

From Science Magazine

Chunky bracelets and earrings rounded out the looks, a key signature of the designer.

From Reuters

Water is considered a key signature of life beyond Earth, after all.

From Salon

Figure 1.49: The time signature appears at the beginning of the piece of music, right after the clef symbol and key signature.

From Literature