Quick question: telling if a song key is major or minor?

[Fassa Albrecht]

As per the title, how do you tell if a song is major or minor? I usually relied in worship band on the pianist telling me, or it being marked on the sheet music.

I can tell what key a song is in from the sharps/flats present, or from the chords being used, but when it comes to the difference between a song in, say, G major as opposed to G Minor, I'm stuffed.


Again, I may be asking a completely ridiculous question....

[marmadaddy]

Assuming you're talking only about sheet music, you need to learn how to read key signatures.

Key signature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Determining whether a song is in a major vs. minor for the signature will require analyzing the chord structure a bit and seeing which chord the song tends to resolve to.

[Fassa Albrecht]

Originally Posted by marmadaddy

Assuming you're talking only about sheet music, you need to learn how to read key signatures.

Key signature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Determining whether a song is in a major vs. minor for the signature will require analyzing the chord structure a bit and seeing which chord the song tends to resolve to.

I'm also thinking of those situations where I've been asked to play from chord sheets.

[bassybill]

This is something that will come with ear development. At that stage, you'll just know.

Try some interval training sites - there's loads of them out there.

In the meantime, just practice trying to jam along to it with your voice (discreetly, if you have to). REALLY pay attention to finding the root first. Then, if you can sing do re mi (think of "Doe, a deer, a female deer" in The Sound of Music ) without cringing, you're in a major key. If Smoke On The Water fits better, it's minor.

Can't simplify it any more than that, really.

[Fassa Albrecht]

^Smoke On The Water is one of my fave songs, so that's an easy way to remember!

[WilliamSandoval]

There's an app in the android market called Perfect Ear. It trains you on Interval Comparison, Interval ID, Interval Singing, Scale ID, Chord ID, Chord inversions, Chord Sequence, Pitch trainer, and Perfect Scales. You can also change the instrument you are training on. They have a Bass, but I think the guitar is easier to hear.

[Papa Dangerous]

If there is sheet music involved. Look at the key signature, and then the very last chord played in the piece. 99.99999% of the time, music tends to land on the Tonic. Then determine if that key, based on the signature is major or minor.

Otherwise, if no music, try and sonically learn the difference between M and m sounds, and like the first option. Listen to the very last chord.

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

^Smoke On The Water is one of my fave songs, so that's an easy way to remember!

R - m3 - 4, first three notes.

Useful one for memorising what those intervals sound like.

Learn to tell the difference in sound between a major third and a minor third and you're there. Crucial!

[MalcolmAmos]

Repeat of what has already been said, just phrased a little different. One sharp in the key signature tells you the song is going to be in one of two keys; G major or E minor.

Same notes, G, A, B, C, D, E, F# and same chords, G, Am, Bm C, D, Em, F#dim. How do you know if it is major or minor? -- Like has been said look at what chords are being used. G major and E minor have the same chords - three major chord, three minor chords and one diminished chord.

If the song's chord progression revolves around the 3 major chords - G, C, D it is said to be major thus being played in G major. If the song's chord progression revolves around the 3 minor chords, Em, Am, Bm it is said to be minor thus being played in Em.

Long story short - you look at the chords being used. Is the tonal center G major or E minor? If the chords revolve around chords with a natural 3rd interval you are major, if the chords revolve around chords with a flatted 3rd interval you are minor.

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Repeat of what has already been said, just phrased a little different. One sharp in the key signature tells you the song is going to be in one of two keys; G major or E minor.

Same notes, G, A, B, C, D, E, F# and same chords, G, Am, Bm C, D, Em, F#dim. How do you know if it is major or minor? -- Like has been said look at what chords are being used. G major and E minor have the same chords - three major chord, three minor chords and one diminished chord.

If the song's chord progression revolves around the 3 major chords - G, C, D it is said to be major thus being played in G major. If the song's chord progression revolves around the 3 minor chords, Em, Am, Bm it is said to be minor thus being played in Em.

Long story short - you look at the chords being used. Is the tonal center G major or E minor? If the chords revolve around chords with a natural 3rd interval you are major, if the chords revolve around chords with a flatted 3rd interval you are minor.

True enough, I guess - but a little overly complex, perhaps? What if you don't know the chords or the key signature? Perhaps doing it by ear might be the most obvious way? I'd be so bold as to say this would be the first choice, myself.

Finding out whether a tune is in a major or minor key by analysing the chord sequence is a bit like finding out whether the person sitting on your lap is male or female by taking a blood sample and analysing for their oestrogen level. There are better ways.

[bigboy_78]

In very simple and broad terms.

Songs in major keys a sound happy and nice

Songs in minor keys sound sad and gloomy.

[dave64o]

Originally Posted by bassybill

Learn to tell the difference in sound between a major third and a minor third and you're there. Crucial!

Good summation. That's the crux of it right there.

Originally Posted by bassybill

There are better ways.

Those ways are better only if you guessed right. If you guessed wrong, ...... ICK!!!

[blakelock]

howdy,
i'm definitely trying not to sound rude but, it appears that you actually can't

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

...
I can tell what key a song is in from the sharps/flats present, or from the chords being used

since G major and G minor have very different sets of sharps/flats.

as others have said, G major and E minor will have the same set of sharps/flats so it's may not be clear which is the better key to think in. in a sense it might not matter. if the key sig has 1 sharp you know it's in G major/E minor and every time a G chord pops up, it's a G major chord. every E chord is an E minor and every A chord is A minor regardless of whether the song is strictly in G major or E minor. same notes, same chords, they just resolve a little differently.

good luck!