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What key is this intro in
- Thread starter Da Bassics
- Start date
I came up with Db(minor); the chord progression sounds like Dbm, Gbm, Bm, E, D. Some of the minor chords could have 7ths thrown in there.
Verse is in A: C#mi - F#mi - Bmi - E - E/D - C#mi - F#mi - Bmi - E - E/D - C#mi - F#mi - Bmi - D - E etc.
2nd time it hangs on E -> G
Ref. is in C: C - Ami - Dmi - G - Emi - Ami - Dmi - G - Emi - Ami - Dmi - F - G -> back to C#mi
2nd time it hangs on E -> G
Ref. is in C: C - Ami - Dmi - G - Emi - Ami - Dmi - G - Emi - Ami - Dmi - F - G -> back to C#mi
Db minor is a very rarely used key signature, because it requires 8 flats (Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bbb Cb).
C# minor would be more commonly used, requiring only 4 sharps (C# D# E F# G# A B).
Note, however, that the D chord doesn't fit with the key of Db/C# minor (unless the composer wants to imply a "Phrygian" sound, which I just don't hear in this particular song).
Also I hear the vocal melody as major-key, not minor-key.
Finally vi-ii-V is a very familiar progression (i.e. "I Got Rhythm") that immediately grabs my ear.
Those are the three main reasons why I said A Major instead of C# minor.
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I played a major first, and then trued b minor and both sounded good. I played a without hitting A as the root on the e string and it worked then moved up on the A string n played b min. Was I wrong?
B Minor has G natural in the key signature, which clashes with the G# in the C#min and E chords.
But if you are playing the correct notes of the bass line, and thinking "B minor" while you play those correct notes, that is not "wrong" in my opinion, you can make it work. Music theory is a tool, not a religion.
This depends upon the type of ensembles you play with.
From what I have seen, flat keys are far more common with gospel and horn bands. If I remember correctly Ab is extremely common with gospel. C# minor would be more common with string players.
I agree the intro is in A Major
Not 8 flats, no. Never.
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Yes of course you and @Mushroo are right...Db major and Gb major and their relative minors would be more common with certain ensembles but Db minor would not
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I would suggest to the OP to not approach most bass playing as "in a key" (esp the wrong one). You need to know what key you're in but you shouldn't be tied to it. (You might encounter chords with notes that are not in the key.) Unless you're soloing, which you're not here, your job is to create a harmonic (and rhythmic) underlay by primarily outlining the chords that take the music through the key. Do this with arpeggios, single notes, maybe scale fragments but only as connectors between the chords, not as the actual key. Save keys/modes for your Jaco soloing.
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I totally get what you are saying, but in this specific case of "Just To See Her"... Once you know the intro and verse are in the key of A Major, then you have this "aha! light bulb!" realization that the songwriters have implied the key of A Major without using the A Major "one chord"!! How did they do this? It's a songwriting magic trick! If on the other hand, you don't approach "Just To See Her" as being in the key of A Major, then you miss out on the pattern that makes this song unique and wonderful.
Also, hearing the pattern in A Major will help you hear and understand when the song modulates to C Major.
Here's how they do that magic trick: vi - ii - V - I is one of the most popular chord progressions in jazz-influenced genres (including Motown of course). Our ears latch onto this progression; it sounds familiar and good, with a strong sense of resolution to the I chord. "Cadence" is the music theory term. But instead of resolving to the expected I chord, we can go to a different chord (such as the vi or iii) thus creating an "interrupted," "false," or "deceptive" cadence. The iii chord is a good substitute for the I chord because it shares some of the same notes (AMaj7 = A C# E G#; C#min7 = C# E G# B). By going to the iii chord instead of the I chord, the songwriters create a harmonic loop or "vamp" that strongly implies a key without actually playing the I chord. It's such a strong and catchy progression that the "Just To See Her" songwriters use it in two different keys, AMaj for the verse and CMaj for the chorus! You might say, this lack of harmonic resolution fits with the wistful lyrics, to create a sense of yearning.
It’s a Smokey Robinson song... only folks on a website would ever care what key it is in. Just play it!
Or perhaps people who aspire to grow musically.
IMHO, it's totally acceptable to play by ear without any idea of the notes or key. However, learning a bit about music theory makes it easier to learn and remember tunes, and also helps communicate with other musicians who understand and use the language and rules of music. I personally think @Da Bassics is on the track to success
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B Minor has G natural in the key signature, which clashes with the G# in the C#min and E chords.
But if you are playing the correct notes of the bass line, and thinking "B minor" while you play those correct notes, that is not "wrong" in my opinion, you can make it work. Music theory is a tool, not a religion.
B Dorian has a Bm triad but has the G#; and it is diatonic to A major. That’s probably another reason why it worked, if you stayed away from the 6th of the B natural minor scale it would work quite well, especially since the progression never resolved to the I chord (A major).
