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How to determine in which key a song is performed
3 parts:Familiarization with some musical terminals Reading notes to determine the tonality Determining the tonality by ear
The ability to determine in which key a song or piece of music is being performed is a very useful musical skill.
Knowing the key will give you the opportunity to transpose the song (change the key) to adjust it to your voice.
You can also experiment with giving different sounds to songs (a great skill for creating a successful cover version of a song).
To determine the key of a song, you will need to learn some basic concepts of music theory.
The piano is the simplest instrument that can be used as an example to explain and understand these concepts.
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Steps
Part 1 of 3: Introduction to some musical terms
1
The concept of musical intervals and semitones.
Semitones and intervals are the distance between two notes.
They are something like building blocks in a musical scale.
A scale is a sequence of sounds arranged in ascending order.
They form an octave, a set of eight notes (from Lat. octavus means "the eighth").
Here, for example, is a major scale in the key of C major: C D E F G A B C.
The lower note of the scale is called "tonic".
If you imagine the sound scale described above in the form of a ladder, each semitone will be one step higher than the previous one.
Thus, the distance between B and C is a semitone, because there are no other "steps" between them (on the piano, the keys B and C are white and located next to each other, there are no black keys between them).
But the distance from C to D is a full interval, because there is an additional "step" on the ladder between these notes (that is, the black key on the piano, which is C sharp or D flat).
In the key of C major, semitones are only between B and C, as well as between E and F.
All other intervals are complete, because the C major scale does not have sharp (#) or flat (♭) alterations in the key.
The concept of major sound orders.
The major scale has the same pattern for full intervals (1) and semitones ( ½ ): 1-1 - ½ - 1 - 1 - 1 - ½.
Thus, the C major scale is denoted by C D E F G A B C.[2]
You can create any other major scale by changing the initial note (tonic) and following the interval scheme.
The concept of minor sound orders.
Minor scales are more complex than major ones and can follow several patterns.
The most common pattern of a minor scale is the natural minor.
The pattern of intervals and semitones of a natural minor scale has the following form: 1 - ½ - 1 - 1 - ½ - 1-1.
You can transpose the pattern of this scale (i.e., rewrite it in a different tone) by starting with a different note and climbing up the" steps " of the ladder of your scale.
4
The concept of musical thirds and fifths.
Third and fifth are varieties of musical interval (the distance between notes), which are common in music.
They can be useful for determining the tonality of music.
Minor intervals contain half a tone less than major ones, which is why there is a change in the sound.[4]
The third is formed by the first and third notes in the key.
The major third contains two full intervals between notes, while the minor third contains only three semitones.
The fifth is formed by the first and fifth notes of the key.
A pure fifth contains seven semitones.
If you have heard the song "Hallelujah" by Leonardo Cohen, then you have already heard about the musical intervals in the following line: "It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift, the baffled king composing 'Hallelujah'". [5]
In many works of pop music (often written in the key of C major), a chord sequence from "fourth"(quarts) to "fifth"(fifths) is viewed, which creates a "joyful" sound.
In the song, the words " minor fall "are accompanied by a minor chord, and the words" major lift " are accompanied by a major chord.
5
The concept of major chords.
The main chord consists of three notes, called a triad, arranged in thirds (for more details, see step 4).
These chords are usually based on a scale such as C major.
Major scales contain two full intervals between the first and second notes of the triad.
A major chord contains a major third and a pure fifth.
The first note of a chord is called the" root " of the chord.[6]
For example, to play a chord based on the C major scale, you can start with C, the tonic, and use it as the "root" of your chord.
Then go up to the third of this scale (4 semitones higher) to E, then up to the fifth of the scale (one and a half intervals higher to G).
C - E G and will form a major chord triad.
6
The concept of minor chords.
The quality of most chords is determined by the third, or the central note in the triad.
Minor chords contain one and a half intervals between the first and second notes of the triad, in contrast to the four semitones (or two full intervals) of major chords.
A minor chord contains a minor third and a pure fifth.[7]
For example, if you put your fingers one key higher than the main note of a C major chord, you will get the following chord: D - F A.
This chord is a minor chord in D major, because the interval between the first and second notes of the chord (D and F) will be 3 semitones.
7
The concept of increased and decreased chords.
These chords are not as common as major or minor chords, but they are sometimes used to create special effects.
Due to their changes in the usual triads, they create a melancholic, ominous or eerie sound.[8]
A reduced chord contains a minor triad and a reduced fifth (a fifth omitted by a semitone).
For example, this is what a reduced C chord will look like: C - E♭ - G♭.
An enlarged chord contains a major third and an enlarged fifth (a fifth raised by a semitone).
For example, this is what an enlarged C chord will look like: C - E G#.
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Part 2 of 3: Reading notes to determine the key
1
Determine the key sign.
With the printed notes, you can determine the key of a song by looking at its key sign.
This is a set of small marks between the key (treble or bass) and the time stamp (numbers that look like fractions).[9]
You will see either # (sharp) or ♭ (flat).
If there is no # or ♭ in the list, the song is either in the key of C major or in A major.
2
Reading notes with flats.
For key signs that use flats, the key sign is located at the penultimate mark of the flat (second from the right), if you read the notes from left to right.
When a song has flat marks on B ♭, E ♭ and A♭- E ♭ is the penultimate mark of a flat, which means that the work is performed in the key of E flat.
If there is only one flat, then the song is performed either in C minor or in F major.
3
Reading notes with sharps.
For key signs that use sharps, the key sign is a note that is half an interval higher than the last sharp mark.
When the sharps in the song are marked with F# and C#, the next note up from C# is D, which means that the musical work is performed in the key of D major.
4
Check the tablature.
If you play the guitar, then when learning a new melody, you will most likely consult the tablature.
Many songs begin and end with a chord corresponding to a key sign.
If the piece ends in D major, it is most likely that it is performed in the key of D major.
There are three main chords in the key of C major: C major (C E G), F major (F - A - C), and G major (G - B - D).
These three chords form the basis of most pop songs.
5
Memorize several sound sequences.
Knowing several common sound orders in the style of music you practice will help you figure out what key your song is in.
All the notes from the chord will be in your scale.
For example, the F major chord has the form: F - A C, and all these notes are in the C major scale, so that the F major chord is in the key of C major .
The A major chord (A - C# - E) is not in the key of C major, because the C major scale does not include sharps.
6
Make an educated guess.
Most popular melodies have a habit of using one of the few simple keys, because they are easy to play on the guitar or piano, which are often used as instruments for accompaniment.
To date, C major is the most popular key for pop songs.[10]
Take a look at the sequence of notes that make up the C major scale: C - D E F - G A B C.
Do the notes in the melody correspond to the notes in the scale?
If so, the song is most likely performed in the key of C major.
7
Look for signs of alterations.
You should remember that melodies sometimes have alterations, that is, notes marked with a ♭or # sign in the melody, even if the key sign does not indicate that the note must necessarily take ♭ or #.
The signs of alteration do not affect the overall tonality of the work.
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Part 3 of 3: Determining the tonality by ear
1
Determine the tonic note.
The tonic, which is also the first note in the scale, will sound correctly at any moment of the song.
Use the piano or your own voice to play one note at a time until you find the one that "matches" the song.[11]
2
Check the tonic.
By playing other notes in the triad, you will be able to determine by ear whether the chord fits the song.
Play the fifth note over the one you think is the tonic.
This note should also fit into most of the song, since it is the second most stable note in the scale. [12]
Play a note that is a semitone lower than the tonic, known as the "seventh".
You should feel some tension in the context of the song, as if this note wants to take the place of the tonic.
3
Determine whether the song is written in a major or minor key.
Play a note that is a large third higher from the tonic.
If this note fits into the general motif of the song, then it is likely that the melody is made in a major key.
Otherwise, try playing a small third (3♭) and see if it fits better.
Learn to distinguish between major and minor triads by playing a major triad with C as the tonic: C E G.
Now replace E with E♭to get C E♭ - G.
Notice the difference in the overall motif and atmosphere.
By the nature of the melody, it is quite possible to determine whether it is major (large) or minor (small), because in most Western songs performed in a minor, sadness and melancholy can be traced.
4
Check out a few chords.
The most common chords within the scale should also appear in song templates.
One of the most frequently used sound orders is G major, which continues to follow the pattern of the major scale: G - A B C D E F# - G.
Its chords are G major, A minor, B minor, C major, D major, E minor and a reduced F sharp major.
Songs in the key of G major will contain chords corresponding to these notes.
For example, the song "(Good Riddance) Time of Your Life" by Green Day begins with a G major chord (G B D), followed by a C major chord (C - E - G).
Both of these chords are contained in the scale of G major, which means that the song is performed in the key of G major.[13]
5
Sing along to the songs.
Pay attention to the songs that are easier for you to sing along to, instead of those that seem unusually high or low to you.
Remember the keys of the songs that you sing with ease and which with difficulty.
Over time, you will realize that some keys are in your range, while in others it will be difficult to reach all the notes.
This will help you to roughly determine the key even before you play the melody on the instrument.
6
Work out the acquired skill.
Put some of your favorite songs into the player or turn on the radio and try to determine the key of the song.
Very soon you will begin to notice some patterns.
Songs of the same key will become similar to each other for you.
Create a list of the studied songs, classifying them by key.
Listen to several songs in a row in about the bottom key to learn how to determine this key.
Add songs in a different key to see if you can catch the difference.
7
Evaluate the results.
If you want to write your own songs or adapt other people's songs for yourself, then you will need to know the basics of music theory, but sometimes you just need to quickly find out the key of a song.
There are many mobile apps and websites that will help you determine the key of a song.
14] Type the song name and key into the search to get an answer as quickly as possible.
Starting to determine the tone of the song by ear, it is advisable to double check the correctness of your conclusions.
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Recommendations
Listen to songs whose key you know, and try to pick up the chords that sound in the song.
The more you practice and train your hearing, the easier it will be for you to determine the key of a song.
The article contains a huge amount of potentially confusing terminology from music theory, but as soon as you start deducing sound orders and chords on a real instrument, everything will become clearer to you.
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Sources and links
Show Sources and Links (14) http://musictheoryfundamentals.com/MusicTheory/intervals part1.php http://method behind the music.com/theory/scalesandkeys/ http://method behind the music.com/theory/scalesandkeys/ http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/31 http://www.leonardcohen.com/us/music/essential leonard cohen/hallelujah http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/31 http://www.idiotsguides.com/arts and entertainment/music theory/music theory 101 major minor diminished and augmented chords/ http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/31 http://musictheoryfundamentals.com/MusicTheory/keySignatures.php http://www.hooktheory.com/blog/i analyzed the chords of 1300 popular songs for patterns this is what I found/ http://www.rhythmic.ca/music tutorials/tips and tricks/how to find the key of a song by ear.html http://trainer.thetamusic.com/en/content/play ear tip 4 find key http:
//www.guitarlessons.com/guitar lessons/guitar theory ear training and reading/finding song keys on guitar/ http://musictheorysite.com/namethatkey
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Categories: Music
In other languages:
English: Determine What Key a Song Is In, Español: saber en qué tonalidad se encuentra una canción, Português: Determinar em que Tom Está uma Música, Deutsch: Feststellen in welcher Tonart ein Lied ist, Français: trouver la tonalité d'un morceau de musique, Italiano: Determinare la Tonalità di una Canzone
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