| If you only have one or two chords it can be hard to determine key and have to rely on your ear. Until you ear tells you just use play chord tones, that is where knowing arpeggios comes in handy know the arp' and you know the chords to use. Then take a step further and learn basic theory on how chords are spelled you know the chord tones that way. Then as the song or jam progresses you will start hearing tonal feel for the song and can start adding notes beyond the chord tones.
The biggest clue at least to me about key is a dominant 7th chord. In Pop and other style it is your V7 chord, so if you know what the V7 is easy to figure out what I is, but again need ear for major I or minor I. Now everything has exceptions and Blues and Rock are it. Blues and Rock sometimes will make all chords dominants. Then back to the ear and listen for sound of the chord movements. Listen for what sounds like a V->I movement. That is part of reason I suggest people play a lot of Blues to get the sound of I-IV-V chords moving around in their ear. Simple description
The IV chord sounds like it is going away from home, away from I chord.
The V chord sounds like it is heading home, going back to the I chord.
Start singing the roots of a Blues progression and you will get a sense of what I am talking about.
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Steve Barnette
The Dojo of Cool :ninja:
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Practice is the best of all instructors - Publilius Syrus
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