Q&A for How to Determine What Key a Song Is In

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  • Question
    How can I tell what key a song is in on sheet music?
    Amy Chapman, MA
    Singing Coach
    Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a Vocal Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Amy is a licensed and board-certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association.
    Singing Coach
    Expert Answer
    The easiest way is to look for sharp and flat symbols on the top line of the first page of sheet music. These will tell you what key the song is in.
  • Question
    How can I determine what key a song is by ear?
    Amy Chapman, MA
    Singing Coach
    Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a Vocal Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Amy is a licensed and board-certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association.
    Singing Coach
    Expert Answer
    I suggest you listen for the first and last chords of the song. Although this isn't always the case, usually the first and last chord of a song will tell you what key the song is in.
  • Question
    What if there is nothing in the key signature?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    If there are no sharps and no flats, the song is either in C Major or A minor.
  • Question
    How do I know whether it is major or minor in a staff?
    Community Answer
    You can use the circle of fifths to help you. Each piece will have two keys, for example, C Major is the same as A Minor, as they both contain the same notes. If A seems to be the predominant root in a song in that key, it is probably in a minor key and if C is the root, it is major. However, songs can also switch from minor to major or vice-versa. It's all relative.
  • Question
    I use lead sheet music and sometimes the melody notes are not given in the song from one chord to another chord. How do I determine the notes been the two chords?
    Community Answer
    Figure out which key the song is played in. Also, look for the sequence in which these chords are played.
  • Question
    One sharp is what key?
    Community Answer
    If the song is in a major key, then it is in G major. If it is a minor song, it is in E minor.
  • Question
    How do I tell if a key is flat?
    Community Answer
    You would have to look at your key signature and look at the flat next to the last, that would let you know what key you are in.
  • Question
    How do I learn to read the music sheet notes so I know what key a song is in?
    Community Answer
    An internet search can provide you with a pictorial reference. From bottom to top, the spaces in between the lines on a treble clef spells, "F-A-C-E." From top to bottom, the lines are, "E-G-B-D-F," and can be remembered by using, "every good boy deserves favor," as a mnemonic device. To learn what key a song is in, learn the notes within each scale, or count how many black notes the piece of music contains, and use the circle of fifths as stated in a previous answer.
  • Question
    I play by ear (the keyboard). I do not read music to be able to play. I want to play my songs into Finale Print music so sheet music will print out with my songs. How do I determine the key to tell program?
    Community Answer
    Because you play the piano, it's a bit easier. If your song is in one key, you should just count the amount of black keys you use. Then you should look into using the circle of fifths, for which you can find a lot of resources on on the Internet, to figure out which key you are playing in.
  • Question
    How do I find the chords of a song by a melody?
    Community Answer
    Your ears will ultimately have to figure this out. Most melodies are focused around the major/rel minor scale it is written in. You must start by being able to sing the melody. Then listen for the pattern of notes that most of the notes have in common. This is a very advanced step in music comprehension, so try with an easy song; Mary Had a Little Lamb is a good start. For example, by singing the intro, "Mar-y had a lit-tle lamb" you could also sing 3-2-1-2-3-3-3... here there's a good chance by detecting part of the scale that one could guess the major key. In this case, it would be whatever key you wanted the "1" to be in.
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