Questions About Keys Options

[steve25]

Hey i have a few questions about keys and stuff. So i'll start with rhythm playing, how do you know what key you're playing in when you can be playing a number of different chords and yet the overall piece is going to be one key or at that section it's in one key. This question arose when i looked a bit closer at the collab lesson that Marcus did and noticed where he said the key is D-minor he doesn't actually play any D chords at all so i'm a little confused on how that one works.

Also, if certain keys make up a whole how do you change to a key that is part of the one you're playing? So let me explain, let's say in A you have D and E as well i don't know if you do that's just a guess. If you are playing in A and D an E are also part of the feel for A how then do you change the key of the song to say E? Because if you just play and E chord for example to the listener surely the feel of the music hasn't changed at all?

My next question relates to soloing, i've noticed some people often use one key for key changes. So for example, someone could be playing an E-minor scale over an E-minor backing, but then the key of the backing could change yet they stay in the same scale key so how does that work?

Also i noticed in some of the more complicated solos major and minor are often blended but that sounds normal but surely it shouldn't sound right at the backing can only be either major or minor right it can't be both can it?

Finally this relates to one of the rhythm key questions, when you want to change a key but the key you're changing to is part of the key you're already in how can you make it sound like that it's changed? Must you hit the root note every time or what? Thanks for any help

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[Matt23]

how do you know what key you're playing in when you can be playing a number of different chords and yet the overall piece is going to be one key

If you take the scale of Cmajor, it has the notes:C, D, E, F, G, A and B. Any of these will work as chords for a song but they would be like this (m= minor and nothing=major) C, Dm, Em, F, G,Am and Bdim (this is the 7nth and is diminished this only matters if you are not playing it as a power chord). If you use these notes and start and finish on C this will defintiely sound like it is in C major. If you do the same with A it will sound like Am as A is the relative minor. You can use any notes technically but they would sound chromatic and are mostly used as passing notes.

the key is D-minor he doesn't actually play any D chords

You can do this and I cant remember marcus' collab lesson but if there is a solo or vocals they could make it sound in d minor. And without another instrument it could sound in d minor but it wont sound finished ver unless he uses the 5th to make it sound finished.

Also, if certain keys make up a whole how do you change to a key that is part of the one you're playing?

As soon as you played a note that wasn't in the old keys scale and was in the new keys scale it would sound like a key change.

someone could be playing an E-minor scale over an E-minor backing, but then the key of the backing could change yet they stay in the same scale key so how does that work?

They would keep the same scale but for example if you play an em scale but change from em to am you would be playing an A dorian instead of an E aeloian because the backing track has changed the root note. I'm not sure about this but I think thats right.

Also i noticed in some of the more complicated solos major and minor are often blended but that sounds normal but surely it shouldn't sound right at the backing can only be either major or minor right it can't be both can it?

This can be right as if you are playing in G major, the notes of Em are all in the G major scale so all you need to do is have an Em chord in the backing and start the phrase with an E, and that section can sound minor. Also if you look at Sean Conklins solo "Haste", it is major but he makes it sound like it's about to go into a minor key by using a flattened 6th, which is a sharpened 7th in the relative minor scale. (the difference between a natural and a harmonic minor).

I hope this helps. If it's unclear then look at Andrews theory lessons cos he can explain things a lot better than me.

Also quite a lot of my theory I know is sort of self taught so if an instructor has said something different to me theyre right.

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This post has been edited by Matt23: Apr 8 2008, 01:40 PM

[steve25]

If you take the scale of Cmajor, it has the notes:C, D, E, F, G, A and B. Any of these will work as chords for a song but they would be like this (m= minor and nothing=major) C, Dm, Em, F, G,Am and Bdim (this is the 7nth and is diminished this only matters if you are not playing it as a power chord). If you use these notes and start and finish on C this will defintiely sound like it is in C major. If you do the same with A it will sound like Am as A is the relative minor. You can use any notes technically but they would sound chromatic and are mostly used as passing notes.



You can do this and I cant remember marcus' collab lesson but if there is a solo or vocals they could make it sound in d minor. And without another instrument it could sound in d minor but it wont sound finished ver unless he uses the 5th to make it sound finished.



As soon as you played a note that wasn't in the old keys scale and was in the new keys scale it would sound like a key change.



They would keep the same scale but for example if you play an em scale but change from em to am you would be playing an A dorian instead of an E aeloian because the backing track has changed the root note. I'm not sure about this but I think thats right.



This can be right as if you are playing in G major, the notes of Em are all in the G major scale so all you need to do is have an Em chord in the backing and start the phrase with an E, and that section can sound minor. Also if you look at Sean Conklins solo "Haste", it is major but he makes it sound like it's about to go into a minor key by using a flattened 6th, which is a sharpened 7th in the relative minor scale. (the difference between a natural and a harmonic minor).

I hope this helps. If it's unclear then look at Andrews theory lessons cos he can explain things a lot better than me.

Also quite a lot of my theory I know is sort of self taught so if an instructor has said something different to me theyre right.

Hey thanks for your reply. I'll see if i can look into this sort of stuff a bit further i guess i am asking for some theory stuff here it just confused me a bit.

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