#Chart of music keys how to

Two major chords in a row represent the 4th & 5th degrees of a major scale and 6th and 7th degrees of a minor scale. Take a look at the chord qualities of major/minor keys in the table below. You can sometimes speed up the chord mapping process by noticing patterns in the chords. Speed up the process by looking for patterns Conversely, if it had a happier feel to it the key would be G.

If the song has a sadder feel to it, you would consider it to be in the key of Em. If the previous chord progression also contained the Em chord, you would have to determine the key by listening to the song to see what the tonal center was. Note that these same chords are contained in the relative minor of G (Em) as well. If you look at the key chart you’ll see that these chords come from the key of G. Say we have the following chords: C Am D G You can also use a reference such as the Guitar Key Guide, which contains the chords and scale patterns for all major and minor keys. Unless you have keys memorized really well, you’ll probably want to reference a key chart. Sometimes figuring out the key of a song takes laying out the chords and seeing where they fit. To confirm the key you may need to chart the chords to see which key they fit. This is because ending on the I chord gives the song resolution. In many cases, the chord on which the song ends will be the key of the song. It takes a little more work, but using the steps below can make it a little more methodical. What if you don’t have a key signature to tell you the key of a song? You have to go about it a bit differently.

#Chart of music keys how to

How to determine the key of a song without a key signature The table below summarizes the key signatures. A key signature with no sharps or flats is the key of C (or A minor). The number of sharps/flats in the key signature tell you the key of the song. The easiest way to figure out the key of a song is by using its key signature.

You can view the guitar chord key chart to see the rest of the chords in the key of C. For instance, if you were playing in the key of C, the C major chord would be the tonic, or 1, chord. The key of a song is the note or chord the music is centered around, the tonic. This lesson breaks down the common methods that help with this process. Other songs, however, are not as straight forward and take a little more effort to figure out. Some songs stick to standard chords within a key, which makes this task much easier. One of the more challenging obstacles as a beginner guitarist, or if you’re just new to guitar theory, is figuring out how to determine the key of a song.