"What key is that song in?

[BroAllan]

    There are many different ways to determine what key a song is in.  From "Key signatures" to "perfect pitch",
many are the ways people use.

       Here's my question...  "How do you do it?

                        God bless you,  BroAllan

[sjonathan02]

If I'm using sheet music, I use key signatures. If I'm listening to a CD, I listen for that tonic chord.

[BroAllan]

If I'm using sheet music, I use key signatures. If I'm listening to a CD, I listen for that tonic chord.

     I guess for me, it's listening for that tonic chord also. 
Maybe one day I'll be able to read music, as well as play by ear.    Until then, I'll have to keep working on improving my skills. 

[T-Block]

I listen for familiar progressions and try to home in on the 1.

[sjonathan02]

I listen for familiar progressions and try to *home in on the 1.

*That's 'hone', my brotha.

[cas10a]

If I have the music I use the key signature...If playing by ear I usually can pick out a couple of notes and use the pentatonic scale to find the Key.  Sometimes this isn't necessary...maybe I guess but I can just hear the key sometimes and start playing.

But it's always easiest if somebody just tells me the key before the song starts...

[T-Block]

*That's 'hone', my brotha.

Well dang, u know what I meant.

[sjonathan02]

Well dang, u know what I meant.

 

[BroAllan]

If I have the music I use the key signature...If playing by ear I usually can pick out a couple of notes and use the pentatonic scale to find the Key.  Sometimes this isn't necessary...maybe I guess but I can just hear the key sometimes and start playing.

But it's always easiest if somebody just tells me the key before the song starts...

Hey cas,

     Do you find that when you can just hear the key of the song, does it matter what key it's in, or is it just certain keys that you can pick up without looking for the scale notes?   BroAllan

[BroAllan]

*That's 'hone', my brotha.

Well dang, u know what I meant.

I think it's just a "typo",... you know, the "m" and "n" are so close together that when you're
typing 140 wpm it's easy to strike the wrong key.    

[sjonathan02]

I think it's just a "typo",... you know, the "m" and "n" are so close together that when you're
typing 140 wpm it's easy to strike the wrong key.    

"Excuses are the tools....."

[T-Block]

I think it's just a "typo",... you know, the "m" and "n" are so close together that when you're
typing 140 wpm it's easy to strike the wrong key.    

I probably shouldn't say this, but it wasn't a typo on my part.  Now I really look dumb I guess.

[Shadow_]

What do you call it when you hit one note, just one note...and in my head, i work out what key the note i'm hitting is relative to. Its helped me a lot. Now, it happens in seconds... 

[T-Block]

What do you call it when you hit one note, just one note...and in my head, i work out what key the note i'm hitting is relative to. Its helped me a lot. Now, it happens in seconds... 

Relative pitch.

[sjonathan02]

I probably shouldn't say this, but it wasn't a typo on my part.  Now I really look dumb I guess.

IRT the small print: Neva that, my brotha!

[cas10a]

Hey cas,

     Do you find that when you can just hear the key of the song, does it matter what key it's in, or is it just certain keys that you can pick up without looking for the scale notes?   BroAllan

It doesn't matter the key, but certain keys Eb, Ab, Bb I can usually hear right off the back, but others I struggle on and so, I usually don't even try this when I'm playing during service...it sort of happens without me thinking about it with the keys listed above.

Maybe I should focus on training my ear to do this more often in all keys.

[chevonee]

You know what all of this relative pitch and tonic chord stuff is still a foreign language to me. I play by ear but I admit that picking out the key to a song is still somewhat of a struggle for me. I try to pick out progressions and all of that stuff but its just very frustrating to me. I guess the fact that I played undisciplined so long, meaning that I didnt try to play in different keys....I just played everything in the same key which was Eb. Now that I am learning theory I found that I can no longer get away with the same old mediacrity <---probably spelled wrong but you know what I mean. Its going to take more and more practice and more patience on my part. I'm learning how to recognize chords that are written out but training my ear is another whole issue.

[Kendall1]

I just listen to the track that I'm try'in to learn over and over again. I try to get the words to the song and the correct way to sing the song in my head most importantly that way figuring out how to play the song and what key it's in won't be so hard. But if anything else, I listen to the track several times (like when I'm in my prayer and meditation or before I go to sleep).

God Bless,
Mr. Keyz

[chevonee]

I just listen to the track that I'm try'in to learn over and over again. I try to get the words to the song and the correct way to sing the song in my head most importantly that way figuring out how to play the song and what key it's in won't be so hard. But if anything else, I listen to the track several times (like when I'm in my prayer and meditation or before I go to sleep).

God Bless,
Mr. Keyz

I find that listening to a song over and over does help a lot.....prayer and meditation is the BEST SUGGESTION OF ALL THOUGH!

[MrTea]

I don't see what's so difficult about finding the key to a song.  When most songs end on the Key.  Most people play by ear, so use your ears to find the key.  But wait a minute, that's just the beginning because, the truth of the matter is a song may migrate through several keys.  So how do you deal with that?  Well the way I deal with it is I whip out the old tool box.  Yeah, das right.  A carpenter can have a tool box, so why can't I. LOL. If you look at written sheet music, you will notice patterns in the music.  You will see patterns in the bass line for instance.  It could be a 1,4,5 pattern.  Or a 2,5, 1 pattern, or a 1,3,5,6,8.  Also you will see patterns in the chords like 1,4,5 or 2,5,1 or chords like 7,3,6,2,5,1 which is really just a collection of 2,5, chords.  These patterns are tools, building blocks.  They are what songs are made of.  Learn them in all keys cause, you will see them again.  If you can't read, then learn what they sound like.  Because you will hear them over and over again. I learn the bass pattern.  I learn the chord pattern, through a melody over the top and walla, dare it is.  So the best way, to learn a song is to break it down into patterns.  I practice these patterns 'til I know them like the back of my hand.