How do you know what notes are in each Key?

[smellybellyalis]

Hey peeps i was just wondering how do you know which notes are found in each key, say the key of C. Is there a pattern? Or are there just like a family of chords which sound good together. HELP! Thanks.

 

[nishikado]

Slowly move down the fret ?

Eg, 6th string root : E
6th string first fret : F
6th string second fret : F#/Gb
6th string third fret : G

Another example
4th string root : D
first fret : D#/Eb
second fret : E
third fret : F



If you are playing above 12th fret, just make use of the same thing

6th string - 12th fret : E
6th string - 13th fret : F

4th string - 12th fret : D
4th string - 13th fret : D#/Eb



At least this is what I do always haha

 

[imkeith]

^^^^ bro im quite sure didnt mean find the notes as in how to identify the notes on the fretboard..

 

[imkeith]

Hey peeps i was just wondering how do you know which notes are found in each key, say the key of C. Is there a pattern? Or are there just like a family of chords which sound good together. HELP! Thanks.

if i get you clearly,
use the circle of fifths it tells you the sharps and the flats
or if what you you're talking bout chords in the key of C thn you gotta follow the proggression thing
root-C major
2nd-D minor
3rd-E minor
4th-F major
5th-G major
6th-A minor
7th-B diminished

 

[Likui]

I think circle of 5th tells you the sharps and circle of 4ths tells you the flats

 

[smellybellyalis]

Yeah i was wondering about the chords in a Key. How did you derive that progression!

 

[dmitry_a]

start with the root note (in this case C) then go up a whole step to D, whole step to E, half step to F, whole step to G, whole step to A, whole step to B, half step to C. Applying this progression to the root note of your choice gives you the major scale in the key of that root note.

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

The way i remember, it's 2 half 3 half. Exactly what bro dimitry_a has said, but easier to remember imo. So it's 2 0.5 3 0.5, then major minor minor major major minor diminished. THe diminished chord rarely comes into play in the more modern musics, so don't have to worry about that first.

 

[imkeith]

I think circle of 5th tells you the sharps and circle of 4ths tells you the flats

well he was asking for the notes and the chords so i thought i answered em both lol but yea you get what i mean 4th and 5ths

 

[smellybellyalis]

Ohhh Thanks Man that really helped a bunch. I've never had a teacher so my music theory is... Anyway, so lets say my friend is playing a song in the key of C, so basically all i have to do to play along is to come up with a riff based on the chords of that key?

 

[TinyBlackCat]

I used to think that jus playing the notes within the key of the song was enough to create riffs and solos until I recently learnt a new thing.

Say if the song chords progression is C F G (still in key of C major). The notes in the C chords are C E G, in F chords are F A C and G chords are G B D. What I understand is when playing riffs and solo, the first note when the C chord is played must be C, E or G, when F chord is played, the first note when the chord changes to F must be F, A or C and so on.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[bf0502tr]

that's not true...you can start on any note as long as it's in the same key or some scale in that key. what you stated are called chord tones...which just make the solo sound nicer that's all...

 

[karlie]

then again this is something that you should trust your ears on. In classical times, people used to believe that you should always start on the root note till of course, beethovan created the 5th symphony which started on the 5th.

anyway to the topic starter, what one of the guys said above is really i think the answer you're looking for.

formula wise for a Maj Scale: Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half. or W W H W W W H.
So say you wanna find what notes are in the key of A maj, you apply this formula by first writing out all the notes.
A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# A and you apply the formula

This would one of the many ways to go about this though. For me i just memorised all the scales.

And again as one of the guys above mentioned. On the guitar there is a pattern that you can go about learning the scales.
Think about it this way as well, the Maj Scale will forever give you this sound " DO RE ME FA SO LA TI DO "so if you wanna play a Bmaj scale and find that it does not sound right, then adjust accordingly you'd see a pattern after a while.

And yes, if your friend is playing in the key of Cmaj, then by all means mix and match the notes in the Cmaj Scale to your liking, till you get something that you like.

 

[MusicPebbles]

Well Greetings ppl, hey TS i can only teach u the major scale for now haha.

well by using circles of 5ths and 4ths basically it goes C-G-D-A-E-B-F#-C# for the sharps.

order of sharps will be F C G D A E B

I assume u noe that Key of C dosent have any sharps or flats.

so if ur in the key of G ur notes will be all same except ur F is sharpened
if ur key is D ur notes are same except F and C is sharped
if ur key is A ur notes are same except F , C and G are sharped...
if u notice the pattern it goes on this way

thats how u noe wad notes are in each key

for the chord stuff and about soloing that other softie said like C chord notes are CEG thing is another thing i think u should get ur scale theory rite 1st.

 

[hydrogencynide]

I used to think that jus playing the notes within the key of the song was enough to create riffs and solos until I recently learnt a new thing.

Say if the song chords progression is C F G (still in key of C major). The notes in the C chords are C E G, in F chords are F A C and G chords are G B D. What I understand is when playing riffs and solo, the first note when the C chord is played must be C, E or G, when F chord is played, the first note when the chord changes to F must be F, A or C and so on.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Thats not very true. its just a safe way to ensure that you are not lost while soloing.

Look up chord harmonies

 

[Likui]

that's not true...you can start on any note as long as it's in the same key or some scale in that key. what you stated are called chord tones...which just make the solo sound nicer that's all...

I think you can start on any note as long as it sounds nice to your ears

 

[MusicPebbles]

I think you can start on any note as long as it sounds nice to your ears

yes but finding the note that sounds nice to ur ears is harder if u dun noe theory

 

[Likui]

yes but finding the note that sounds nice to ur ears is harder if u dun noe theory

for me when I play solo I never think about theory, I don't is just u know a feeling I got, my brain just makes up the melody and I don't know how it makes up I dont think of scales or anything then my brain say to my fingers find this note on the fretboard, so my fingers have to find so I guess for me is know the fretboard well rather than know the theory well. but also know the theory well just in case someone ask you what scales or mode were u using, then i take the solo and break it up and find out what I was playing.

 

[imkeith]

the safest is you just stick to the C maj scale.. you cant go wrong with that
you dont exactly have to change your scale everytime the chord changes.. unless if you're playing jazz <---correct me if im wrong on this..
while most songs using a maj,natural minor or pentatonic should be sufficient to handle the tune

 

[sitkaspruce]

Hi smellybellyalis.

Maybe you want Lasagna & Spaghetti but I give you Hor Fun & Mee Goreng 1st lah.

Hor Fun - http://forum.ibanez.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=70657

Mee Goreng - http://forum.ibanez.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=72723