What key is my song?

appliedguitartheory.com - How to Determine the Key of a Song - Applied Guitar Theory

Is f the hardest guitar chord?

The six-string F chord is one of the hardest standard chord shape to play on the guitar. When many people try to play the F chord on guitar (and...

Last updated Mar 5, 2021

Who is the most famous jazz pianists?

The Best Jazz Pianists of All Time Nat King Cole. Nat King Cole is renowned as both a hugely talented and swinging piano player as well as a...

Last updated Oct 26, 2019

Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Promotion

How to Determine the Key of a Song

One of the more challenging obstacles as a beginner guitarist, or if you’re just new to guitar theory, is figuring out how to determine the key of a song. Some songs stick to standard chords within a key, which makes this task much easier. Other songs, however, are not as straight forward and take a little more effort to figure out. This lesson breaks down the common methods that help with this process.

What is the key of a song?

The key of a song is the note or chord the music is centered around, the tonic. For instance, if you were playing in the key of C, the C major chord would be the tonic, or 1, chord. You can view the guitar chord key chart to see the rest of the chords in the key of C.

Key signature

The easiest way to figure out the key of a song is by using its key signature. The number of sharps/flats in the key signature tell you the key of the song. A key signature with no sharps or flats is the key of C (or A minor). The table below summarizes the key signatures. Sharps Flats Key Number of # Key Number of ♭ C 0 C 0 G 1 F 1 D 2 B♭ 2 A 3 E♭ 3 E 4 A♭ 4 B 5 D♭ 5 F# 6 G♭ 6 C# 7 C♭ 7

How to determine the key of a song without a key signature

What if you don’t have a key signature to tell you the key of a song? You have to go about it a bit differently. It takes a little more work, but using the steps below can make it a little more methodical.

On which chord does the song end?

In many cases, the chord on which the song ends will be the key of the song. This is because ending on the I chord gives the song resolution. However, this isn’t always the case. To confirm the key you may need to chart the chords to see which key they fit.

Map the chords to a given key

Sometimes figuring out the key of a song takes laying out the chords and seeing where they fit. Unless you have keys memorized really well, you’ll probably want to reference a key chart. You can also use a reference such as the Guitar Key Guide, which contains the chords and scale patterns for all major and minor keys.

Which is better bleach or hydrogen peroxide?

Bleach is an economical, all-round disinfectant, but it requires careful handling and dilution for effective use. Hydrogen peroxide has a kinder...

Last updated May 10, 2020

How do you keep a piano shiny?

Ideally, find a high-gloss polish that can be used on plastic as they are more likely to get the better results. Purchase a soft microfibre cloth...

Last updated Apr 6, 2020

Promotion

Let’s look at an example. Say we have the following chords: C Am D G If you look at the key chart you’ll see that these chords come from the key of G. Key I ii iii IV V vi* vii G G Am Bm C D Em F#m♭5

Use your ear

Note that these same chords are contained in the relative minor of G (Em) as well. If the previous chord progression also contained the Em chord, you would have to determine the key by listening to the song to see what the tonal center was. If the song has a sadder feel to it, you would consider it to be in the key of Em. Conversely, if it had a happier feel to it the key would be G.

Speed up the process by looking for patterns

You can sometimes speed up the chord mapping process by noticing patterns in the chords. Take a look at the chord qualities of major/minor keys in the table below. Major Key I ii iii IV V vi vii Minor Key i ii III iv v VI VII Notice the patterns. Two major chords in a row represent the 4th & 5th degrees of a major scale and 6th and 7th degrees of a minor scale. For example, if you were playing a chord progression that included a C major chord and a D major chord, those chords would represent the 4th and 5th degrees of a major scale and 6th and 7th degrees of a minor scale. With this, you can count up 3 notes from the 5th to find the major key or up 1 note to find the minor key:

Major -> G

Minor -> Em

Wrap Up

Learning how to determine the key of a song takes practice. The more you do it and the more you develop your ear, the easier it becomes. Not all song chords fit neatly into a given key, but the methods outlined here can get you moving in the right direction.

appliedguitartheory.com - How to Determine the Key of a Song - Applied Guitar Theory

What instruments does Justin Bieber know?

Growing up, he learned to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet.

Last updated Feb 19, 2020

Are Yamaha upright pianos good?

Originating in Japan Yamaha has an extensive background in high-quality pianos providing the highest sound quality at an excellent value for money!...

Last updated Sep 12, 2019

Promotion

Who is the most famous person with dyslexia?

Albert Einstein: Physicist Perhaps one of the most famous figures known to have dyslexia is Albert Einstein, a theoretical physicist who won the...

Last updated Aug 15, 2019

Promotion

Is it worth getting a piano teacher?

Your piano teacher will help you stay on track with consistent practice. Knowing that someone else is observing your progress each week will...

Last updated Aug 16, 2022