---
title: "Musical Keys"
id: 72704
type: "computer_media"
slug: "musical-keys"
url: "http://localhost/computer_media/musical-keys/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/computer_media/musical-keys.md"
published_at: "2026-10-26T23:19:30+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-10-26T23:19:30+00:00"
author: "David Anderson"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/musicalkeys-1.png"
excerpt: "A music-theory quiz that asks which major key has a given number of sharps or flats, then lists them in order."
post_tag:
  - name: "Downloadable"
    slug: "downloadable"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/downloadable/"
  - name: "TS 2068"
    slug: "ts2068"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/ts2068/"
model:
  - name: "Timex/Sinclair 2068"
    slug: "ts-2068"
    taxonomy: "model"
    url: "http://localhost/model/ts-2068/"
indiv:
  - name: "Peter Ross"
    slug: "peter-ross"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/peter-ross/"
genre:
  - name: "Music"
    slug: "music"
    taxonomy: "genre"
    url: "http://localhost/type/music/"
media_type: "Program"
programmers:
  - name: "Peter Ross"
    slug: "peter-ross"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/peter-ross/"
download_url: "https://archive.org/download/timex-sinclair-software-archive/Musical%20Keys%20%28198x%29%28Ross%2C%20Peter%29%28TS2068%29%28US%29%28Program%29.zip"
tsrun_member: "Musical Keys (198x)(Ross, Peter)(TS2068)(US)(Program)/Musical Keys (198x)(Ross, Peter)(TS2068)(US)(Program).tap"
mediadate: "198x"
images:
  - url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/musicalkeys-1.png"
  - url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/musicalkeys-3.png"
  - url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/musicalkeys-4.png"
media_type_tags: "Music"
license: false
---

# Musical Keys

Musical Keys tests your knowledge of key signatures. Each question picks one to seven sharps or flats at random and asks which key has that signature; you type the key, such as F, B FLAT or F SHARP. A right answer flashes and plays a rising and falling sweep, a wrong one a low tone, and either way the program then names the key and lists its sharps or flats in order, with a flat sign drawn as a user-defined graphic.

The opening screen reads “MUSIC QUIZ – created by Peter Ross with the aid of Jerry Alexandros”, followed by “THE ROSS LEARNING SYSTEM – MUSICAL KEYS”. Sound is by BEEP only.

## Program Analysis

### Program Structure

- Line 1 sets CAPS LOCK (`POKE 23658,8`), shows the credit (8000) and defines UDG `F` as a flat sign.
- Lines 200–900 pick the question, look up the answer in the IF chain at 5500–6200 and mark the reply.
- Lines 1000–1600 read the sharps (F#, C#, G#…) or flats from DATA at 2000 and print them.

### Potential Issues

- Line 150 shows the score if `INKEY$` is the STOP character, but it is checked only once per question, before the INPUT, so it is very hard to reach.

This copy comes from a Larken disk, the TTSUC library disk “Music and Sound”. It was converted for tape (the disk command was removed from the save line) and tested in ZEsarUX.

## Source Code

```
    1 POKE 23658,8: RANDOMIZE : GO SUB 8000: LET L=0: LET U=1: FOR K=0 TO 7: READ E: POKE USR "F"+K,E: NEXT K
    2 DATA 0,64,64,112,80,96,64,0
    5 PAPER 5: INK 2: PRINT FLASH 1;AT 8,6;"THE ROSS LEARNING SYSTEM": FLASH 0: PRINT INK 0;AT 11,11;"MUSICAL KEYS": PAUSE 375
   10 PAPER 1: INK 7: BORDER 0: CLS 
  100 CLS 
  150 IF INKEY$=CHR$ 226 THEN CLS : PRINT AT 11,6;"YOU HAVE SCORED               ";L;" OUT OF ";U;" CORRECTLY.": STOP 
  200 LET A2=INT (RND*7)+1
  300 LET A1=INT (RND*2)+1
  400 IF A1=2 THEN LET E$="SHARP(S)": GO TO 550
  500 LET E$="FLAT(S)"
  550 GO SUB 5500
  600 PRINT AT 9,3;"QUESTION #";U;AT 11,3;"WHAT KEY HAS ";A2;" ";E$;" IN        IT'S KEY SIGNATURE?"
  700 INPUT G$
  800 IF G$=C$ THEN CLS : LET L=L+1: PRINT FLASH 1;AT 11,6;" YOU ARE CORRECT": FOR F=-60 TO 60: BEEP .001,-F: BEEP .001,F: NEXT F: PRINT : PAUSE 50: CLS : FLASH 0: GO TO 1000
  900 CLS : PRINT AT 8,6;" YOU ARE MISTAKEN": PRINT : BEEP 1,-10: PAUSE 75: CLS 
 1000 LET U=U+1: PRINT AT 10,3;"  THE KEY OF ";C$;" CONTAINS        ";A2;" ";E$: PRINT "THEY ARE:"
 1005 LET D=1
 1100 IF A1=1 THEN LET A2=A2+7: LET D=D+7
 1200 LET Y=12
 1300 FOR X=D TO A2: LET Y=Y+1
 1400 READ A,Z$: IF A<X AND A2>A THEN GO TO 1400
 1410 PRINT INVERSE 1;AT Y,16;Z$: INVERSE 0
 1500 NEXT X
 1600 RESTORE 2000: PRINT AT 20,3;"PRESS ANY KEY TO CONTINUE": PAUSE 0: GO TO 100
 2000 DATA 1,"F#",2,"C#",3,"G#",4,"D#",5,"A#",6,"E#",7,"B#",8,"Bf",9,"Ef",10,"Af",11,"Df",12,"Gf",13,"Cf",14,"Ff"
 5500 IF A2=1 AND A1=1 THEN LET C$="F": RETURN 
 5550 IF A2=1 AND A1=2 THEN LET C$="G": RETURN 
 5600 IF A2=2 AND A1=1 THEN LET C$="B FLAT": RETURN 
 5650 IF A2=2 AND A1=2 THEN LET C$="D": RETURN 
 5700 IF A2=3 AND A1=1 THEN LET C$="E FLAT": RETURN 
 5750 IF A2=3 AND A1=2 THEN LET C$="A": RETURN 
 5800 IF A2=4 AND A1=1 THEN LET C$="A FLAT": RETURN 
 5850 IF A2=4 AND A1=2 THEN LET C$="E": RETURN 
 5900 IF A2=5 AND A1=1 THEN LET C$="D FLAT": RETURN 
 5950 IF A2=5 AND A1=2 THEN LET C$="B": RETURN 
 6000 IF A2=6 AND A1=1 THEN LET C$="G FLAT": RETURN 
 6100 IF A2=6 AND A1=2 THEN LET C$="F SHARP": RETURN 
 6150 IF A2=7 AND A1=1 THEN LET C$="C FLAT": RETURN 
 6200 IF A2=7 AND A1=2 THEN LET C$="C SHARP": RETURN 
 8000 PAPER 5: BORDER 1: INK 0: CLS 
 8001 PRINT AT 11,11; FLASH 1;"MUSIC QUIZ"; FLASH 0;AT 20,0; INVERSE 1;"CREATED BY PETER ROSS WITH THE     AID OF JERRY ALEXANDROS      "; INVERSE 0
 8002 PAUSE 200: CLS : RETURN 
 9997 STOP 
 9998 SAVE "MuQuiz.B1" LINE 1
```