Key Sigs for minor Keys?

You know, I'm a drummer, and despite all the snarky jokes about drummers can't read any music that's not on a straight line, I do respect my other musical peers need for reading key sigs, and distinguishing between minor, and Major sigs.  It's kind of like ignoring the time sig 2/4, and just using 4/4, since all you need to do is add 2 of them, and you've got 4/4.  So, why does Sonar ignore minor key sigs.  Or, at the very least, allow a user to add them to an .INI file if, and when they need them?  That's all I got to say 'bout that!
 
KC

I thought it did allow for minor keys to be chosen.
 
However all you have to do is is count up to the third note of the minor scale you are using and you will have the relative major.
 
Example: A minor... A, B, C.
 
Use the key sig for C Major.

Yup, major and minor keys share key signatures (Cmaj & Amin, Fmaj & Dmin etc.)
 
The only way to differentiate them is to check the score out and work out what the implied root is (e.g. from the melody or dominant->root cadences etc.)  Or somebody might helpfully write 'Ab minor' or something on the score.
 
Also, isn't all music written on straight lines? It'd all be a bit confusing if not :^)  I find it confusing enough as it is...

Some people may find it easier to relate to by explaining that whatever major key you have has a relative minor. If you start up the major scale your relative minor is ALWAYS the sixth step. EX. Key=Cmajor, Major Scale of C= C,D,E,F,G,A,B , Relative Minor=sixth step or A. C major and A minor are the same signature on the staff. The above post is correct about starting from the A not in the minor scale as well. Just depends on how you look at it.
Every key in theory abides by this rule. 

Yup (this "yup" was in reference to Sidroe's post... the rest is just bored blathering). To find the relative minor of a Major key go forward six steps in the scale or 3 steps back from the root.
 
When we talk about modes and relative Majors/minors all that is happening is we are taking the same 7 notes and changing the start/end point of the scale. There are twelve keys so that means we have twelve such patterns using the Natural Major pattern and each of those twelve has a subset of 7 possible linear 7 note arrangements.
 
It is all just a shifting grid. Once you can visualize it as such it becomes much easier to understand. To understand how keys work in relation to each other study the Circle of Fifths which may seem complex at first glance but is actually quite simple.
 
Start at C which has no sharps or flats then find the 5th note (which is G). G is now your new starting point in the CDEFGABC pattern. Sharp the 7th note (B) and you will have the key of G Major from which you can create all 7 modes of G Major. Then find the 5th note of G Major (which is D) and again sharp the 7th note. You have now created D major. Follow this pattern until every letter note is sharped. Then you have to switch over to using flat notes and the process kind of reverses and you remove flat notes to preserve the Major pattern until you return back to C.
 
You can do it in reverse starting from C and counting up to the 4th. We do not add the flats to the 7th though. We add them to the 4th. So find the fourth of C (which is F) then count up to the 4th (which is B). Flat the B. Now you have created the key of F Major. I refer to this as the Circle of Fourths and have seen it called that elsewhere as well but not very often.
 
When you do this you will notice that there are three keys in the middle that can be interpreted as either sharp or flat. They are:
 
C# = Db
F# = Gb
Cb = B
 
Usually you would use the sharp version to write in these keys but not always. Also in certain cases you will need to sharp a letter note even though the note above it is only a half step away (eg: E# = F in the key of F# Major). This is done to preserve the letter order because in diatonic scales you never use a letter note twice. You sharp or flat the letter names to create your pattern.
 
When writing the key sig onto the staff you write the sharps and flats in the order they appear within the circle of fifths or the circle of fourths. This means you start at C and add one sharp to the staff for each consecutive step on the circle of fifths and for the flat keys you start from C and add one flat to the key sig follow the circle of fourths.

I hate it when theory gets in the way of making music. The most profound thing (to me) my teacher in harmony class ever said was "Theory always came after the fact. First people started making music. They learned that some things sound good while others don't. It's usually not till much later that people start to analyze it and write it down." Completely paraphrased as it was years ago now.

I was way more theory based when I was young and learned my instrument, sometimes I feel I'm still too analytical. I really wish it was more in my nature to listen rather than analyze. When you really listen and react i when the magic happens.

Sanderxpander
I hate it when theory gets in the way of making music. The most profound thing (to me) my teacher in harmony class ever said was "Theory always came after the fact. First people started making music. They learned that some things sound good while others don't. It's usually not till much later that people start to analyze it and write it down." Completely paraphrased as it was years ago now.

I was way more theory based when I was young and learned my instrument, sometimes I feel I'm still too analytical. I really wish it was more in my nature to listen rather than analyze. When you really listen and react i when the magic happens.

When I explained to my local keyboard shop owner that I had never had a music lesson, I didn't use the correct fingering on the keyboard he said 'theory can get in the way of creativity'.
 
I like the way I play,I know what the sound is going to be before I play the note, I feel at one with the instrument and with the craft and that matters more to me than being able to read music or know any theory.
 
You can use mathematics to describe art and music but I would rather just leave both to my emotions.

I'm glad I learned theory, but it's too easy to rely on it and think you're "doing it right" because of the theory. When, in the end, it's about how it sounds.
Sight reading can be an art if done well, especially if done well enough that you can have an idea of the dynamics and flow of a piece mere seconds before you have to play th notes for the first time. I'm ok-ish but like most jazz/pop guys not too great on left hand reading (I play piano btw). But apart from prima vista stuff, and perhaps situations where you want someone else to play something you can't do yourself, notation is basically a compromise - you use it because you can't remember well enough or it's too hard or too slow to do by ear. Both of which are in the end ridiculous reasons if you consider what the point of your job is.

I mean, I use all these things, and they make me better at what I do. But sometimes I think, if I could start over, and had more talent in my ears, and spent more time just listening and playing...

I use theory mainly to communicate my ideas to other players.  If I write parts for orchestral pieces then rather than sit with each and every player and explain the part to them I can hand them sheet music and say, "Here's the idea.  If you hear or feel something that sounds better then go for it.