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Old August 29th, 2007
Fretsource Fretsource is online now

Playing guitar for what seems like forever.
 
Join Date: May 2006
Last Online: 1 Hour Ago 01:34 PM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 1,191


As Witchy Woman said, it's almost always the first CHORD that tells you the key (not the first note). And as she also pointed out there are exceptions.
In fact it's almost always the chord that comes in on a strong beat. Most songs start with that chord. For example, "The Streets of London" that you posted recently. That starts on a strong beat "HAVE you seen....". So whichever chord you played there - that's the key.
Exceptions are songs that precede that first key chord with an intro chord that leads to that strong key chord.
Perfect Day is an example. It's in A minor but the intro starts with E leading to A minor and when he starts singing the verse "Just a perfect day..." It's A minor - and that's the key.

The last chord of almost every song (and the note too this time) are even more likely to be the key chord and note, unless, as WW said, it changes key somewhere in the middle.

What's interesting is that, as you write great songs, it shows that you understand the concept of key very well. When you write a song, how do you know which chord to end the song on? It's because there's only one chord it could be, right? - and that's the key chord.
Your feeling for music directs you to naturally end on the key chord by ear, at least in everything you've posted so far.


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