HELP - Are we in the same Key?

Nutty · #1 December 23rd, 2007

I'm leading the youth choir tomorrow for Christmas Mass. One of the girls ones to play the flute for part of the Huron Carol. I "think" the flute is a C instrument. The music is written in the Key of C. The chords I have are Em, C, Em, Bm, D, and G. However, we play it with capo 1. I don't think we are in the same key. Should we be playing without the capo?

Thanks
Nutty

eXperiment63 · #2 December 23rd, 2007

You're playing in the key of G#/Ab as best as I can tell... Key of G with the capo on 1st fret makes it G#/Ab. Either way, you aren't playing in the same key as her. Unless her flute notes are in the G#/Ab scale.

G#/Ab Major Scale: Ab Bb C Db Eb F G

allthumbs · #3 December 23rd, 2007

Ex is right. The chord progression fits the Key of G perfectly. There are some outside chords to contend with if it was considered to be written in the Key of C. The B would be a diminished chord and the D chord would have to be changed to a minor chord to fit in that key.
With a capo moving everything up a half step, it would be G# / Ab.

Fretsource · #4 December 23rd, 2007

I don't know it so I had a listen online and it's in a MINOR KEY.
Your chords, with capo on the first fret, mean that your arrangement is in the key of F minor. The flute player can't be playing in C - she must play in F minor too - or else you must reposition your capo to suit whichever minor key she's going to play it in. (It's much easier for you to change key than her.)

Edit: Just a thought. Why did you think it was written in C? Is it because there are no sharps or flats in the key signature? In that case it's in A minor (the relative minor of C major). If you want to play those chords you mentioned in A minor, then you need to put the capo on the fifth fret, not the first.

Fong · #5 December 29th, 2007

Wouldn't that be the Key of A then? F Minor being the relative minor to A?

I don't have a circle of fifths handy but if I remember correctly that is right isn't it?

Wouldn't that require an F#, C# and G# present?

Which well could be right if he is playing with a capo? Since the C he says he is playing is actually C#, as is the G?

johnnydoxx · #6 January 1st, 2008

Just a side note - Although the flute may be a 'native' C instrument, it can play in all keys - all notes are available. Otherwise the flute would be unhandy in concert bands and orchestras.

So you really only need to know the key of the song, then both play there.