How to determine....?

[dwest2419]

Hi guys back with another thread. How to determine what chord are in a key? For instance, someone said the chord is Bb7 what quick and easy way tell immediately what chord the key is in even if chord is played as an inversion?

[cas10a]

I don't know, I would say you would need more than 1 chord to tell what key you are playing in...but I might guess Db, since that's where you would usually find a Bb7

[cas10a]

Example:

Key of Db
B or F/D-F-Ab-B
Bb/D-F-Ab-Bb (Bb7)
Eb/ (2)  Gb-Bb-Db-F
Ab/ (5)  Gb-Bb-C-F
Db/ (1) F-Ab-Db

Key of Bb
Bb/F-Ab-Bb-D (same Bb7)
C/G-Bb-Eb
D/Ab-Bb-D-F (again/D bass)
Eb/G-Bb-D-F

[cas10a]

The quickest way I know how to find a key is to play the pentatonic scale in the key through the chords of the song...it may not work for everyone, but it is what I have always used in the past....sometimes now it's easy to hear the key...other times it is difficult for me as well...it takes a lot of practice.

[dwest2419]

Thank you! This helps out a lot. Yeah, cause I was thinking that Bb7 could fall into the key of Eb since it is listed as a dominant V7 chord.

[cas10a]

Thank you! This helps out a lot. Yeah, cause I was thinking that Bb7 could fall into the key of Eb since it is listed as a dominant V7 chord.

The chord is also used in Eb...I think GtrDave said it best in one of the recent post I read, theory doesn't always dictate what you can play and where, however I don't think 1 chord determines the key.  Maybe T-Block will chime in 'cause I haven't been studying music for more than a minute lately...(sorry)...so my advice/instruction may not be the best.

[gtrdave]

The chord is also used in Eb...I think GtrDave said it best in one of the recent post I read, theory doesn't always dictate what you can play and where, however I don't think 1 chord determines the key.  Maybe T-Block will chime in 'cause I haven't been studying music for more than a minute lately...(sorry)...so my advice/instruction may not be the best.

No, one chord does not determine a key center at all, but each chord does have a specific tonality and is derived from a particular scale.
In the case of a dominant chord (7 or 9 or 11 or 13) it is typically voiced as a V and therefore is related to or derived from the mixolydian mode. This does not mean that the key that said chord is in is the I of the V chord. We just went through this on another forum where a particular solo section alone of a song had 6 different dominant chords. The key does not bounce around 6 times as a result.
Instead, the chords have to be taken in context, at the very least by a particular number of measures and/or phrases, to determine what the key center is.

[cas10a]

Thanks Dave...I have to get back into studying...not just music, but the Word...been slippin'...

[dwest2419]

^^^Me too 

[T-Block]

No, one chord does not determine a key center at all, but each chord does have a specific tonality and is derived from a particular scale.
In the case of a dominant chord (7 or 9 or 11 or 13) it is typically voiced as a V and therefore is related to or derived from the mixolydian mode. This does not mean that the key that said chord is in is the I of the V chord. We just went through this on another forum where a particular solo section alone of a song had 6 different dominant chords. The key does not bounce around 6 times as a result.
Instead, the chords have to be taken in context, at the very least by a particular number of measures and/or phrases, to determine what the key center is.

Boom, QFE!!!

Just to add to this powerful word, I believe that any chord can be played in any key. It's all in where and how you use the chord.