Hey y'all, back with another question (Hope Mr. 555 is around).
Anyway, how can you determine in which key a track is made?

My greatest gratitude in advance as always...

Peace!

 

It's the first key/chord that you press.

And don't forget to return to first key/chord.

 

Well or you just use Mixed In Key. *yes*

 

Try this tool: http://www.ibrahimshaath.co.uk/keyfinder/

You scan the folder with your tracks or samples with this software
and it tells you which key the audio is.
You can also let the software add the key name to the audio file.

Best is..., this is a free software...!!!

I use it to find keys of my samples, then I don't have to guess or
analyze the frequencies of each sample to know what key it is.
Very useful for kick drums to work harmonic with the baseline.

 

@ Amsterdam Pirate,

Well, I was flying all around so I decided to landing...

If you get sometimes some 'Sample Libraries' where you know (this brother's site !), or if you have some within your archives where the 'Main Key Root' is stipulated (as it happens sometimes), it could be a good reference for determine the 'Main Key Root' of another song. Simply listen to this that you know the correct 'Main Key Root' and simply compare it with this that you need to determine its 'Main Key Root'. It's also a good exercise to training your ears to recognize a given 'Main Key Root'.

I'm not totally agree with the :

mainly because of the possible 'inversions' of Chords. I mean, if the Chord played is an 'inversion' of the 'Main Root Chord', the first Key can then be either the 'Third' (3rd), or the 'Fifth' (5th), or the 'Seventh' (7th),... it's where your capacity of listening will be crucial.

A little example :

A single chord of 'Cm7' : the notes comprising this Chord are C - Eb - G - Bb.

1st Inversion : Eb - G - Bb - C
2nd Inversion : G - Bb - C - Eb
3rd Inversion : Bb - C - Eb - G

Of course, these 'Inversions' are not anymore named 'Cm7', but all are related to 'Cm7' in a harmony canvas, and above all, all the Chords used the same notes but placed in different orders within them.

Another very good option is to listen carefully to the 'Bass' of the desired song. In most of the cases, the 'Bass' plays the 'Main Root Key' very frequently (apart in some music styles like the 'Jazz' and its derivatives, 'Fusion', 'Progressive Rock', 'Experimental Music',... ). But in most of the 'regular' styles of music, if you get the correct 'Tone' of the 'Bass', you get the 'Main Key Root' of your song.

A last option, but dependent of your 'musical knowledge and practice' is to playing over the desired song with the 'Scales' that you're used (or love) to play. As you know their exact contents (in term of notes), and for which 'Main Key Roots' they fit well, you can easily deduce the 'Tone' in which you are playing...

 

Modes and inversions can trip you up

 

Here, she explain in great way http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUNj6prH2bM

And yes Studio 555 has right. In modern music best way to determine the key is bassline, But here is trick Lot of artist likes change the key of their song in the middle of track so the beginning can be C the end can be G. Keep this in mind.

 

I like to play a D chord inversion with the root being F#

 

Is there a VST version of this ???

 

@ Carface

Yeah that would be interesting VST if such exist

 

OR... or... You use your ears !

No I'm half kidding but as an instrumentalist I can't imagine searching the key with a software...

I'm guitarist at first, so when I'm not sure the key I play a note (Or a note + octave up) during 4 bars or more if it sounds good on each chords, it's the good one ! But it can be misleading sometimes... Or playing a basic scale, starting with E for ex., then E#, F, F# etc... Until the scale sounds good on each chords, when it's the case you're on the right key !

You can do it with a guitar, keyboard, bass or (Almost) whatever...


This techniques are for basic structured songs (I'm into rock etc...), if it's jazz or some complicated music styles that should be more tricky and Mr 555 would be more appropriate to explain, but in any other cases these might be good techniques !

 

SAiNT, how does your device work? Never seen and heard of such a thing *yes*

 

Gonna try this little app, thanks for the heads up yo!

 

No, that just indicates what note is played in the bass.

But it doesn't say, which inversion is being played.

 

The key of a song or chord progression is actually the root.
I.E. what feels "home" to you and usually the end chord of the whole song ( not always of course ).
There are major keys and minor keys. 'Happy' or 'sad' keys.
Chords are based on scales and 'good composers' will try to use a couple of them in a song or even in a little chord progression.
If you are unfamiliar with music theory, a nice way to find out the root key at any given moment, is to sing your way back home along the scale.

If you'd have | Am7 D | for a while..., you can bet your bottom dollar that, that chord progression is in the key of 'G' and not in the key of 'A minor'.
II - V in 'G'.
But it could be a part of a progression over A melodic minor as well...
It all depends on what's coming after this.

And inversions are usually a tool to make a chord 'static' or 'dynamic'.
Just sing your way back home....; not too loud of course...
;^)

To help out a bit more.
C,Dm,Em,F,G(dom 7),Am,Bm7b5 (In the KEY of C )

Besides the usefulness in writing things down for other musicians, I don't really see the point of wanting to know the root key of a song...
In matching samples, I think it's not that important anyway, since you're 'painting' with what already exists.
And having ears in dealing with music, is not a bad idea to begin with *yes*

Now I have a question for you Audioz users..;
Can you define the 'Key/Root' of this song ??
Not that easy ...
There are a couple of options, but there is only 1 Key !!
Go ahead !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXmrVfB19XY
Give it a try !!

Here's one to have fun with, because the video is not helping a lot..

Using chords tuned in this way ( 4ths) will give you a hard time Figuring out in which key things are, but will be revealed, pretty quickly.. ( to whom , having ears..).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9VCMzFcpjg

U need some balls to play like this and discard all the rules ( only if you know them).
But there is tonality !
His last tone is The give away !!
Not where the song began, but where it ended. *yes*
Which was more important ??

Happy hunting !

Piraat, ff een PM kerel !
Als je echt meer wilt weten.

 

thank you all for all the reactions!

 

@ Yubidi,

In a general point of view, you're right... but what about the 'famous' Power Chords (T [Root] - 5th - 8va) used by countless rock guitarists !
Are these played Chords 'Happy' or 'Sad' ? As not 'Thirds' (neither Major, nor Minor) are used within these Chords, how can you define that it sounds 'Happy' rather than 'Sad' ?

The same applies with 'Suspended' Chords. Take the most simple 'Suspended' Chord form (in C) : C - F - G ( C ).
Does it sounds 'Happy' or 'Sad' ?

I already noticed your identical conclusion within another article in this Forum about this fact. Within the first article, I don't wanted to comment it because I thought that it could be a 'typing' error (this happens sometimes !), but as you wrote it for the second time, I can guess that is your thinking...

Well, and if I tell you that is the opposite. I mean, 'Scales' are based and derive from 'Chords' and not the opposite...
What about the 'famous' Greek Modes used consistently in our 'Modern' (or 'Western') music ?
What about the 'Ionian', 'Dorian', 'Phrygian', 'Lydian', 'Mixolydian', 'Aeolian' and 'Locrian' Modes... Do you really think that all these Modes are creating 'Chords' by themselves ?
I rather think that each 'Chord' has its corresponding 'Greek Modes', which are all in fact 'extensions' of the Main 1st Mode --> 'Ionian', because each one uses exactly the same notes but with a different 'starting' note (degrees).

Don't 'bet' your full bottom dollar on the Key of 'G'... just keep a few for the Key of 'Em' or 'Em7'.

Don't really understand this statement... Would you to say that a Chord in its 'original' position is more 'static' than its 1st, 2nd, or 3rd inversion ? Personally, I don't understand why 'inversions' would be more 'dynamic' than an 'original' Chord...

The main goal of the 'Inversions' is to provide some (pleasant to the listener's ears) changes within a song, in place of always playing exactly the same Chord. This serves to a musician to play around a given Chord, while the 'Bass' can still to play the 'Main Root Note'.
If your Bass Player is playing a 'C' note for a while, and that you're also playing a 'C' Chord (original Position), you can then 'switch' to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd Inversions while your Bass Player is still playing the 'C' note. That's why 'Inversions' Chords bring variety to a given Chord Structure.

Here, either you depict the several degrees of a given '3-notes Chord' : 'C', or the several degrees of a given '4-notes Chord (with 7th)' : 'C7M' (or 'Cmaj7'), but don't 'mix' the two !

'3-notes Chord' :

I : C
II : Dm
III : Em
IV : F
V : G
VI : Am
VII : B-5

'4-notes Chord (with 7th)' :

I : C7M (or Cmaj7)
II : Dm7
III : Em7
IV : F7M (or Fmaj7)
V : G7 <-- here's the '7th Dominant'
VI : Am7
VII : Bm7(b5)

I just wonder, in case that you're a musician of course, and that you make some improvisations sometimes with your played instrument(s), how you do it without even knowing in which 'Tone' are the music over which you plan either to improvise (or even to record) !?!

The usefulness of knowing a 'Root Key' can be of great value for a 'DJ' (that I'm not !). It could even be as essential as knowing the 'BPM' of a given song to accommodate it with the previous played song, or for mixing it with another one in a harmonious fashion.
And what about the 'Radio Stations' (Broadcasting) ? Have you ever noticed how some of their played songs follow each one a smoothly harmony among them, even if the musical styles can be different among them. All this is 'wisely' planned in advance to follow a certain harmonic coherence and continuity between them. Just check it the next time that you'll perhaps listen to some 'Radio Stations'.

Can I define the 'Key/Root' of this 'Incognito' (feat. Jocelyn Brown) song ? --> 'Fm7'

"Not that easy ..." It exists far more complicated songs to decipher, you can trust me ! *yes*

The 'Main Key Root' is always the same (I'm not talking of the 'Chord Progressions' - only the 'Main Key Root'), so in my humble opinion, there's not a couple of options...

It's what you believe that 'Mr. Brecker' is discarding all the rules. I'm pretty sure that he knows exactly what he's doing ! For playing in this fashion (and I don't even talk about 'virtuosity'), you need a gigantic knowledge about 'Scales', 'Modes', 'Harmony',...

Yes, there's even several 'Tonalities', it's a 'Modal' song.
His last 'Tone' is exactly the same that his first one... and his song began exactly with the same 'Tone' that it ends. From '0:00' to '1:54', you can more or less easily decipher the 'Main Key Root' as it's always the same : 'G7(b11)' (if my ears didn't betray me too much !). From '1:55', the first 'Modal' change comes...