How do i know what key a song is in? help please

[PinkSpider]

Well i,ve been doing some of my research with the FACE thing
and sharps and flats on this huge theory book titled how to guitar
but i still dont totally understand.

quote from book

If a melody comprises notes from the G major scale it is said to be in "G"

But then the G major scales shares so many notes with other scales.
and the if the first note is C for example. it doesnt necassarily mean that
the music is in C does it?

 

[fenderrules]

feel free to correct me.

well, you WOULD make the whole melody sound in C cuz you didnt make the root note G. therefore, in a melody, riff or whatever, always come back to the root note. thats what i do everytime.

i could play a melody in any other key first, but i must always, always go back up to the root again.

besides, all scales have their relative notes as well. its just how you wanna play them. but of course, be sure to mix in the correct colours, or it will sound awful.


hope ive helped.

cheers

 

[PinkSpider]

fenderrules Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:41 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hope ive helped.

cheers

yes thank you your help was appreciated.
I think for me,
right now its like a jigsaw puzzle
I understand some parts but some pieces dont fit

 

[Hideto]

if the root starts from C... then it is using C lydian... its mood change.. but its still in G key... which G is the iodian....

how to know which key a song is in.. from the chords...

from chord progression 1st to 8th(octave):

major
minor
minor
major
major
minor
b5b7
major(octave)


another way is to find the semitone... as from the 8notes scale... semitone diff is between the 3rd-4th and the 7th-8th.

hope this helps u... but not applicable to some songs... as some uses mood change halfway..

 

[fgl]

here's an example:

BELL BOTTOM BLUES:

Verse in C

Chorus in A

..if some arranger re did the tune staring with the chorus etc.... you could get fooled...

when the actual key of the song is is C as of the verse

 

[PinkSpider]

This is all very appreciated

 

[man4422]

But then the G major scales shares so many notes with other scales.
and the if the first note is C for example. it doesnt necassarily mean that
the music is in C does it?

G major scales shares its similarities with only C major scales..coz the notes other than F# in G major scales is all natural tones (no sharps and flats)..same as C major scale but, the F for C major scale have no sharp...

 

[thor666]

A quick and easy way would be to take the melody, decipher the notes, then try to fit them into the relative Major/Minor/? scale. Not the most correct way of doing it, but works most of the time.

 

[fenderrules]

hehe i do that too. most of the time it works.....but i rather do that during a free jam.