Copyright ©2004 Mickey Cochran
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Copyright ©2004 Mickey Cochran Violin/Fiddle Website Map • Return to Lessons Section • Return to Homepage
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There are a couple of ways to determine which key you're playing in:
1. The very last note played, the ending note, usually determines the key of a piece. If you know how the tune ends, and you can name the note it ends on, 95% of the time, that will be the tonic note or key center of the piece you're playing.
2. Start learning the names of all of your scales...upon doing so, you'll be better able to determine the key you're in simply by experimenting over the top of the tune with different scales...once you find a scale that seems to fit in, the tonic note of the scale, usually the beginning note, would be the key center of the tune. For instance, a G major scale plugs into Em...however, you notice as the chord progression starts, it appears that the E note is the harmonic starting point...and yet, the scale that sounds harmonious with the tune is a G scale...hence, you then know that this would be the key center: Em.
3. You can also determine the key center by the note the key starts in...keep in mind, a major triad chord contains 3 notes...when a song begins, one of those three notes will be the starting point. Almost never does a tune start on a note that is not contained by the first chord (and, the first chord usually always starts on the key center). Many times, the starting note will also be the name of the key...however, it's best to learn how to break down and build chords with this method of determining which key you're in...
My highest recommendation would be to purchase a music theory book and begin the journey of understanding the skeletal frame of music. This will help you in many more ways than just determining key centers...You have the highest hill already climbed: learning music by ear. I believe the easy part is the theory...many players, who are well versed in theory, have a higher hill to climb than you when attempting to learn to improvise or play strictly by ear.
Good luck on your musical journies, Mickey
