keys in riffs Options

[erik]

Hey, how do you know what key you are playing in when your'e playing a riff? Is it always the first note? I want to make a riff in the key of E, but not necesseraly starting with E..

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[raqroso]

Your question is very broad with a number of intrepetations
but this little info might help:

If you want your riff to be strictly in the key of E play notes that are in the key of E
there are 7 of them:

E - F# - G#- A - B - C# - D#

Try your riff over any chords in that key there are 7
of them:

E , F#min, G#min, A, B ,Cm, D# dim

the first, fourth, fifth, second and sixth chord of a key
sound good in some traditional orders such as

1 - 4 - 5 rock and roll basic

2- 5- 1 another rock basic

This should be right...
it helps you on your journey

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Kristofer Dahl]

Good explanation! :)This is a tricky one to explain shortly.

PS

E , F#min, G#min, A, B ,Cm, D# dim

should be

E , F#min, G#min, A, B ,C#m, D# dim

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[ru6yut]

i dunt fully understand this either,lets say the chords of a verse are:
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
--11-------9-------11-------9---11---
-11---7---9---4---11--7---9---11---
--9---7---7---4----9---7---7----9---
------5--------2--------5------------

what key is it in..and can u make a song with different chords,lets say changing the 775 into 886,would it still be ok?

and im also not very fimilar with the solos over stuff,do i have to play the solo in the same key as the chords..perhaps someone here has a lesson on keys and stuff?

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Norven]

Okey, here comes a tip i got from my mother She have been studying music on university.
And when I asked here that question she said. The scale is often the chord that the song ends with. (not always)

Hope this will help.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[raqroso]

I want to help, I hope this doesn't confuse you so I give a short answer and a long answer:

Short Answer:
Those chords F#5, A5, E5 are in the key of A or in the key of F#minor
All the notes in all those chords are in both the A major pentatonic scale and the F#minor pentatonic scale.
I guess you could jam away in those scales.... try also the B major pentatonic scale

Long Answer:
It looks to me you are playing three chords F#5, A5, E5
(one of the chords, the F#5 is voiced two different ways but is the same notes as the other F#5)

Technically these are "power chords" or "5 chords" since they only have two notes
the 1 and the 5 of the chord.. they are neither 'major' or 'minor'

F#5
notes: F# and C#

A5
notes: A and E

E5
notes E and B

looking at all the notes you are playing we have the notes F#, C#, A, E, B

The Key of A has all of these notes.

A B C# D E F# G# ---> notes in the key of A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 --> number system muscians use for calling the notes

P P P P P ---> notes in the pentatonic scale (always the 1,2,4,5,6 of the key)

If you were jamming you would say "Ok Boys check out this progression,
it is in the Key of A, I will play a F#5 A5 E5 progression - that is the
6 - 1 - 5 chords progression ..... I know it's a bit unorthodox - but I play it really
cool"

Or you could call it the Key of F#minor in which case you are playing a 1-3-7 progression..

Final note: If it souds good - play it - and the heck with thoery.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Guitar1969]

Okey, here comes a tip i got from my mother She have been studying music on university.
And when I asked here that question she said. The scale is often the chord that the song ends with. (not always)

Hope this will help.

Also, 99% of the time - the key is the first chord of the song. But sometimes there are exceptions.

Your question is very broad with a number of intrepetations
but this little info might help:

If you want your riff to be strictly in the key of E play notes that are in the key of E
there are 7 of them:

E - F# - G#- A - B - C# - D#

Try your riff over any chords in that key there are 7
of them:

E , F#min, G#min, A, B ,Cm, D# dim

the first, fourth, fifth, second and sixth chord of a key
sound good in some traditional orders such as

1 - 4 - 5 rock and roll basic

2- 5- 1 another rock basic

This should be right...
it helps you on your journey

I know those standard progressions for major keys(Like I IV V for rock) , but can you also provide some standard progressions for minor keys. I play mainly maor key songs and want to experiment with writing minor key songs(For a darker sound) but don't know much about the minor keys - if you could provide some general rules for minors as well I would be gratefull

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!