What KEY am I in?

[Jaydublyew]

I know an old melody. I sound the notes out on a keyboard and enter them on a music staff. My ear tells me where to start. When I'm done, how do I tell what key I have just written the music in?

[fingers]

The easy answer... the accidentals... if it is a diatonic melody.

Can you tell us more about the melody?

[Jaydublyew]

Thanx for getting back to me. Here's my case: I sound out "Sweet Georgia Brown" on the bass. I memorize if for jamming. I thought I was learning it in the easiest key so banjo players would have an easy enough time accompanying. (this is going to sound real dumb, but) I realize that it is not necessarily in "C" because I start out on C.

I have been Googling for an answer and I come up with "probe tone technique" for discovering the tonic of the key but the explanation is WAY over my head.

[jrduer]

If you start on a "C" note, you are probably in the key of Eb. The first run of chords would be: C F Bb Eb.

Hope that helps (and that it's right...)

~John

[jrduer]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Well anyway your next step is what are the chords and their function - that will tell you want key!

+1. You should be able to feel the I chord (in your case, the Eb) when you reach it. I don't know how else to describe it. Maybe one of the teachers here on TB will chime in.

~John

[jrduer]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

You could have just googled the tune and got this:

Except that's in the key of Ab, if I'm not mistaken, and the melody line wouldn't begin on a C note. (I'm assuming Jaydublyew is playing the melody. Maybe I'm wrong.)

~John

EDIT: And even if he's playing a bass line, and his first note is a C, he's still in the key of Eb more than likely.

[Jaydublyew]

Thanx for you patience, fellas. I'm starting at the top and working my way down, sorta like starting school in the 8th Grade without having gone thru 1-2-3-4-etc.

Here's what I play (melody solo)

C D E C
G E A G
C G E C

and so-on

[Jaydublyew]

if I understand what I seem to get from my research, I'm supposed to write-out the music and look at the accidentals and the key that has the most in common with the ones that exist is the key the music is written-in.

[Jaydublyew]

are they still considered "accidentals" if they belong? e.g. is Bb an accidental in the Key of F?

[Jaydublyew]

When I played thru the melody (as in a bass solo) I then sounded-out a bass line and I was surprised that certain notes "belonged" and I didn't think they should, if I was in "C"

I played CC CC CC CC
Db CC CC CC CC
B BbBb BbBb BbBb BbBb
B BbBb BbBb BbBb BbBb
A DbDb DbDb
A BbBb BbBb
B CC CC
Db D

[rockwarnick]

accidentals are sharps, flats, naturals, double sharps, double flats, etc. that are included in the piece but are not in the original set of flats/sharps/naturals.

[rockwarnick]

have you tried playing a scale based on the tonic note and counted the sharps for flats? or counted the half-steps to see if it is major/minor/etc?

[Jaydublyew]

Just to explain one thing: I have difficulty comprehending chords. I think that solving this one problem will help me. As if a light switch turned-on.

I've read the books over-and-over but I can't grasp it. When I "see" the tonic pitch and understand the triad I will be able to discern the dominant seventh and use the circle-of-fifths to count back to the key. I got that from the instructions but I don't know what it means. in-practice.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by rockwarnick

accidentals are sharps, flats, naturals, double sharps, double flats, etc. that arent included in the piece but are not in the original set of flats/sharps/naturals.

Very accidental - if they're not even in the piece!

[Jaydublyew]

I don't know how to find the tonic note.

[rockwarnick]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Very accidental - if they're not even in the piece!

haha, my bad. i meant "are included" . thanks for catching that.

[Jaydublyew]

I got what he meant. They ARE in the piece but "belong" in the key, such as Bb in F. If a Eb is played IT'S an accidental! Thanks

[Jaydublyew]

How do I edit my profile to list my location?

[rockwarnick]

Originally Posted by Jaydublyew

How do I edit my profile to list my location?

my talkbass>edit profile>additional info>location

[Jaydublyew]

Thanks

I'll be honest with ya; the first thing I thought of was to write out the music (I bought a copy of Finale Songwriter) and show all sharps & flats and then try to discern what Major key it most resembled, but I thought there would be some more-scientific way of doing it.

I've come a long way, for an old man, but I am still amazed at how you fellas can identify chords, notes, and keys just by HEARING them played...maybe someday.