There are several ways to determine the key of a song:
I use my ear to find which notes on an instrument fit in a song and enter them into the identify scale option on Chord.Rocks
- By ear: One of the most common methods is to listen to the song and identify the tonic, or "home" note, and the patterns of whole and half steps within the melody and harmony.
- By the use of a software/app: There are software or apps available that can analyze a recording and identify the key based on the frequency of notes and chords used in the song.
- By reading sheet music: If the song is notated, you can determine the key by looking at the key signature, which is a group of sharps or flats at the beginning of the staff that indicate the key.
- By using the Circle of fifths: The Circle of fifths is a visual representation of the relationships between different keys and can be used to identify the key of a song.
- By using functional harmony analysis: it is a way of understanding how chords and harmony work in a song, and can be used to identify the key of a song by analyzing the harmonic function of chords and progressions.
It's important to note that a song can change its key during the composition, so not all methods will give the accurate key of the whole song. In addition, some songs might not have a clear tonic and can be considered modal rather than tonal.
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