What key?

[Synth]

So, i'm writing a song, and i'd like to know what key i'm playing in. Also, if its not to much trouble, can someone explain how to know what key i'm playing in?

The notes i'm using so far are b,f#(or f flat i'm not sure)g, and e.

[Anorak]

If it's f#, you're in G (or E min). This is most likely. If it's fb (which is the same as E, by the way), you're in C (A min?). It's sort of hard to tell from just a few notes.

Probably the easiest way to tell what key you're in is to listen for the resolving, or final chord that finishes a suspension. That final note will often be the key you're playing in. There are better ways (as the many artists don't end on the I), but they involve theory, chord analysis, and such. Eventually you just get an ear for it.

[Yoozer]

I have trouble seeing how that's possible - how do you "write" it otherwise?

Anyway, read:

http://www.chordmaps.com - if you can find out what chords you use, you can figure out where you start.

Then there's not only the key, but the mode, too.

http://www.looknohands.com/chordhouse/piano/

See the stuff from Ionian to Locrian. Do you play your notes in that scale (or a transposed version of it?

[Chavous]

Guys....he said key not modes or scales

Ok...here's an easy way to tell.

Considering the notes you gave me, you can either be in the key of D or G.

Why?

In the flat key signatures, the first note to be flatted is a B. Considering you are using a B natural, there are no flats. In the sharp keys, the first note to be raised is F. Since you are using an F#, then you are going to have sharps in the key signature. This signifies the key of G. The way to tell if it is in the key of D is by seeing if the next note is raised (that might confuse you). The next sharp in the next key signature (key of D) will be a C#. If a C# fits the song better than a C natural, then you are in the key of D.

This is, of course, considering you are not using any chords foreign to the key signature.

And...um, you kinda need to know if its F# or F flat...is it a white key or a black one?

[Synth]

Thanks for the help so far guys. I'll check those out yooz

Actully, I would like to know what scale i'm playing in. That is actully what i'm trying to fiqure out, but I need to know the key first right?

I'm not playing on a piano/keys, but a guitar.

I had to look it up, and its F#.

[Radiowar]

yeah like mlo said it's probably G Major or E minor, but I'm leaning towards E minor since the notes you gave outline the chord (except the F# obviously). if it is E minor then the notes would be E F# G A B C D E (assuming it's natural minor).

[Kanthos]

Are B, F#, G, and E notes in a melody or chords that you're playing, or both? Either way, I suggest that you're playing in B minor.

You should be able, from hearing a piece, to figure out what the key it's in. You probably don't have perfect pitch, so figuring out the *exact* key of an arbitrary song you hear is probably beyond you, but you should be able to recognize which note or chord is the root note around which the rest of the piece is built. Assuming a song doesn't have any keychanges partway through (either definite or implied; sometimes a song may be written in one key but the choice of chords for a chorus or bridge makes part of the song function like it's in a second key), there will be one note or chord that will sound like "home", that will be the most resolved. If you were to cut off the song at arbitrary places, most of them will make you feel like you're missing something and that you need one more chord to resolve. For example, if you're playing in C major, if you end on any other chord besides a C, you should be able to hear a jump to a C chord after the music stops, or at very least, feel incomplete.

This root chord or note is often, but not always, the first chord or note played in a song. For example, if your song is a chord progression over those four chords in order, then it's most likely that you're playing in B minor. The fact that all the other notes are in a B minor scale (which is B C# D E F# G and A, depending on the scale mode; there are several forms of minor scales. The other two would have A# instead of A or both G# and A# instead of G and A) suggests that you're playing in B minor. If the four chords were instead B F# G# and E, you would almost certainly be playing in B major. In order to figure this kind of thing out, you need to learn scales and key signatures (which notes are sharp or flat in each key) for at least major and minor scales.

The reason I say B minor instead of E or G minor like other people did is because in B minor, you use the simplest combination of notes. If you count up the scale, B is 1, F# is 5, G is 6, and E is 3. If you're in G minor, F# is 7, and 7 isn't as common a note. In E minor, you'd have 1, 2, 3, and 5 for your notes, which is more common, but you'd be starting your melody on B (5), while if you're in B minor, you'd start the melody on 1. I just went with the simplest answer out of the possibilities. Keep in mind that you can pick any of the 12 unique keys for *any* melody, but some of the notes in your melody wouldn't be in the scale for some of the keys. Again, I'm ignoring them because of what's simplest. If you need to ask what key you're in, you're probably not doing something as complex as playing a melody in C# major, which makes 3 of your 4 notes not be in the scale.

Hopefully this helps. You should ask yourself though why this is relevant. If you don't know anything about scales and keys, it doesn't matter what key you're playing in anyway; you'll just make up notes that sound good to you without really knowing why.

[Chavous]

^ At least someone else sees that it can be in D Major (b minor).