How To Determine

[Mrandrew]

How do you determine if the key of a song is in major or minor.

[sjonathan02]

How do you determine if the key of a song is in major or minor.

Listen for the tonic chord. Find a progression in the song, then play through the major or minor scale of the tonic note (i.e. Eb maj or min scale).


Usually, one can just hear the difference in sound. I wouldn't know how to translate that on 'paper', though.

[Mrandrew]

Thanks Sjon, that's been a question on my mine for awhile just never asked.

Like they say a question never asked, is an answer never given.

[T-Block]

Listen for the tonic chord.

To add on to that, if the tonic chord is major, then ur in major. If the tonic chord is minor, then ur in minor. Usually, minor will have a darkish sound to it. Major will have a lighter sound to it.