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Post subject: Question about playing in another key
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:02 am
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Aspiring Musician
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I've read that it's good to learn to play what you know in other keys. I'd like to try it, but I've got two obstacles:
1) How can I tell what key the music I'm playing is in?
2) What do I have to do to change to another key?

This seems like one of this questions with a big answer, but can you give me the gist of what I should be looking for and where to find it?

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Question about playing in another key
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:33 am
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RudyH wrote:
I've read that it's good to learn to play what you know in other keys. I'd like to try it, but I've got two obstacles:
1) How can I tell what key the music I'm playing is in?
2) What do I have to do to change to another key?

This seems like one of this questions with a big answer, but can you give me the gist of what I should be looking for and where to find it?

Thanks.


You can "search" for the key using your guitar or keyboard...you can also hold up an electronic tuner to the source and it should get you close, if not dead-on to the key that it's in.

To change to another key you can modulate by moving up the fretboard.

Hope this helps.

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:31 am
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First off, the key any song starts off in may not be the same key it ends up in. Some songs change key, usually up a half step or whole step, (1 or 2 notes higher for the root) somewhere during the tune, probably around or beyond the half-way mark. Many compositions switch keys (and back) for a bridge or middle lead section: Nat King Cole's 'Unforgettable' had a sax lead in it that worked off the melody, but in a different key long before Van Halen's bridge-lead in Jump did a similar thing. However it's the same type of effect. It was also used in the Bonnie & Delaney song 'Where There's a Will, There's a Way' with Eric Clapton. Of course, jingle and pop song writers (like Barry Manilow) make a habit of raising the key in the end section of their songs, just to keep things interesting. [Just be aware]

Finding the key isn't difficult as most tunes END on the prime root chord, but there are exceptions, like 'You Really Got Me' by the Kinks or 'Yasgar's Farm' by Mountain.

Much of the time a song will START on the prime Root chord...... compare that to the final chord (allowing for any key changes) and if they match, it's a good bet, THAT's the key root.

It is also a good idea to learn and understand Modes, as they can have a different key root than what is implied by the chord structures.

Modes are simply taking the Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do of any key and using it from a different root...... as in:

Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do-Re (This is the Dorian Mode)

La-Ti-Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La (This is the Aeolian Mode)

Common Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do is the Ionain Mode and it's the Standard on which music notation is based. It is also referred to as Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half.... or 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1 in note steps or spaces between notes of a scale.

In any case, the actual Key Root is always whatever DO is.

Finally.... there are 12 notes (in Western Hemisphere music), each with a different name, but 5 of them have dual terms, a sharp name (#) and a flat name (b)... plus the fact that there are 15 keys.... (3 have dual names as well). If you can get that much under your belt, understand, apply and utilize it, you've got it knocked.

When it comes to changing keys, you can do it mathematically..... Everything moves the same amount. Example: If you want to go from the key of F to the key of E, every note in the song drops down 1 note or is lowered 1 half step. Any musical distance when changing keys works the same no matter which direction, up or down and no matter the amount or number of notes/steps.

I hope this info inspires you to learn more about music and what is going on. It's no more than a system of how notes relate to one another and the terms used to describe the relationships. Chords are just groups of notes and how they are defined as a specific cluster. It's NOT really all that complicated, it just seems that way at first. It will eventually come together and everything will make sense........ just keep learning.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:47 am
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Location: uɐʇsıʞɔnuɐɔ 'puɐlʇɐlɟ
If you are into readin :)
a not bad book is
"Music Theory Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask."
by Tom Kolb.

Published by hal Leonard, Guitar Method series
http://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Guit ... 169&sr=8-2

and "DVD Scales & Modes "
by Chad Johnson and Mike Mueller

Published by Hal Leonard - At a Flance Series
http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Scales-Mod ... 290&sr=1-1

can be a help

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Post subject: Re: Question about playing in another key
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:14 am
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[quote="Miami Mike"][quote="RudyH"]

Hi Mike: Hope you're day is going well, all things considering.

Well...we're talking transposition here. This sounds like a job for Theory and Harmony 101. Looks like you've got a start from what precedes this.

Doc :wink:

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Post subject: finding a movable key
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:27 am
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Location: chicago il.
it's really simple, let's say you have a song in the key of G maj. and you want to transpose it to the key of A maj. Your 3 primary cords in G is
G C & D just move your finger that's on your bass E string 2 frets up the neck to the A note, on the fifth string next to your A note is your D note, slide your finger up the neck 2 frets on the same 5th string and that will be your E note. you must learn the notes on the guitar neck, it's not that hard, it's just like learning your A B C's. To find the key of a song takes a little bit of ear training, you might want to try this, have the song playing and use the 6th string (bass E) start out with the open E note, one fret up is the F note just keep going up the neck in half steps till you think you found the key or just go to your computer & check out guitar.com

sparky


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Post subject: Re: Question about playing in another key
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:34 pm
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RudyH wrote:
I've read that it's good to learn to play what you know in other keys. ... snip ...


Some excellent posts above on the tech aspects of your question. As to the value, I agree, especially if you're going to be working with singers and/or artists who use a capo.

As someone told me when I was first starting, it's easy enough for me to move the key but difficult for a singer to change their voice. But I also got some work in the late 70s playing electric for some folk artists who wanted to modernize their style. In that case, while they might be capo'd, they specifically wanted me not to be.

Finally, someone (don't remember who and don't have the article here) in Bass Player a couple of months ago suggested mastering the top 20 songs in your genre in every key. You're now in a position where you ought to be able to sit in with a lot of people with that skill.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:58 pm
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Thanks! I appreciate the help.

PeterP: I do have the Tom Kolb book on Guitar Music Theory. I really like it and have learned a lot from it.


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