Pourquoi apprendre les tonalités par cœur ?

Pour savoir tout de suite quelles notes et quels accords vont ensemble dans un morceau. Connaître l’armure, la relative et les accords des degrés, c’est pouvoir improviser, accompagner ou composer sans tâtonner.

Comment fonctionne le jeu ?

Cliquez sur une carte : trois réponses s’affichent, une seule est juste. La carte se retourne ensuite avec l’explication et, quand elle existe, la fiche du glossaire. Avec un compte gratuit, chaque réponse est enregistrée dans Mon Arène : vous retrouvez votre progression sur tous les jeux.

Un moyen de retenir les armures ?

Les dièses arrivent toujours dans le même ordre : Fa, Do, Sol, Ré, La, Mi, Si. Les bémols dans l’ordre inverse : Si, Mi, La, Ré, Sol, Do, Fa. Chaque tonalité avec dièses est une quinte au-dessus de la précédente : c’est le cercle des quintes.

Degrees and keys

Goal: work out a key’s signature, its relative minor, the name of each degree and its chords without calculating. Click a card and choose the right answer out of three.

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Understand it all, in three questions.

Why learn keys by heart?

To know straight away which notes and chords go together in a song. Knowing the key signature, the relative minor and the degree chords means you can improvise, accompany or compose without fumbling around.

How does the game work?

Click a card: three answers appear, only one is right. The card then flips over with the explanation and, when there is one, the glossary entry. With a free account, every answer is saved in My Arena : you’ll find your progress across all the games.

Any way to remember key signatures?

Sharps always come in the same order: F, C, G, D, A, E, B. Flats come in reverse order: B, E, A, D, G, C, F. Each sharp key is a fifth above the previous one: that’s the circle of fifths.

Où voir toutes les cartes en un seul tableau ?

All the cards in the game, sorted by family. The game’s search, above, also filters this list.

Degrees and keys, sorted by family.
Card	Answer	Family
C major	No sharps or flats The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
G major	1 sharp (F♯) The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
D major	2 sharps (F♯, C♯) The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
A major	3 sharps The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
E major	4 sharps The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
B major	5 sharps The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
F major	1 flat (B♭) The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
B♭ major	2 flats (B♭, E♭) The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
E♭ major	3 flats The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
A♭ major	4 flats The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
D♭ major	5 flats The key signature is written next to the clef, at the start of every stave.	Key signatures
C major → ?	A minor Same key signature, same notes: the relative minor starts a minor third lower.	Relative minors
G major → ?	E minor Same key signature, same notes: the relative minor starts a minor third lower.	Relative minors
D major → ?	B minor Same key signature, same notes: the relative minor starts a minor third lower.	Relative minors
A major → ?	F♯ minor Same key signature, same notes: the relative minor starts a minor third lower.	Relative minors
E major → ?	C♯ minor Same key signature, same notes: the relative minor starts a minor third lower.	Relative minors
F major → ?	D minor Same key signature, same notes: the relative minor starts a minor third lower.	Relative minors
B♭ major → ?	G minor Same key signature, same notes: the relative minor starts a minor third lower.	Relative minors
E♭ major → ?	C minor Same key signature, same notes: the relative minor starts a minor third lower.	Relative minors
Degree I	Tonic The centre of the key, the point of rest.	Degree names
Degree II	Supertonic The degree just above the tonic.	Degree names
Degree III	Mediant Halfway between the tonic and the dominant; it decides between major and minor.	Degree names
Degree IV	Subdominant A fifth below the tonic: the colour of the plagal cadence.	Degree names
Degree V	Dominant The degree of tension, which calls for a return to the tonic.	Degree names
Degree VI	Submediant Just above the dominant; in major, it carries the chord of the relative minor.	Degree names
Degree VII	Leading note A semitone below the tonic, which it “pulls” towards.	Degree names
V in C major	G major (G-B-D) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords
IV in C major	F major (F-A-C) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords
II in C major	D minor (D-F-A) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords
VI in C major	A minor (A-C-E) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords
III in C major	E minor (E-G-B) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords
VII in C major	B diminished (B-D-F) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords
V7 in C major	G7 (G-B-D-F) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords
V in G major	D major (D-F♯-A) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords
IV in G major	C major (C-E-G) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords
V in F major	C major (C-E-G) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords
V in A minor	E major (E-G♯-B) In major, the chords on degrees I, IV and V are major, II, III and VI minor, VII diminished. In minor, V becomes major thanks to the leading note.	Degree chords

Want to write chords that sound great?

Theory becomes practice in the professional course “Harmonie et composition au piano en Home Studio” (in French): 70 hours with a trainer, in person in Grenoble or live online, eligible for AFDAS and France Travail funding (French training funds).

Discover the harmony course (in French) Chord charts → The scales game →