How to Tell If a Piece Is in a Major or Minor Key

[@gracekwithgtgmusic9796]

Sir, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE your passion for music and your joyful kindness in freely sharing your knowledge! WOW! I have struggled with the topic addressed for yrs, but no longer thanks to you! Also, for the first time, I’ve understood the difference between relative and parallel keys! WOWWWWWWWWW! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

[@LivingPianosVideos]

So glad to help you understand this fundamental concept!

[@Chulamani]

I really liked this explanation.

[@robertyu7341]

I’ve read quite a bit on minor scales. This is the first time it became clear to me. Thank you so much!

[@qualitymusic122]

This harmonic minor sounds beautiful

[@gugaengel]

Excelente explicação! Simples, direta e objetiva. Parabéns

[@tompetrie1676]

I have just started studying the piano and really appreciate your details in this video. Brilliant really! I just finished learning the Circle of Fifths so this adds some important knowledge. Thanks VERY much!

[@marshac1479]

I always thought the melodic minor sounded like the major scale and now that you have explained it, playing it is so much easier.

[@kjwong4730]

This video was great. As a self taught adult of the piano, I couldn’t understand this concept for the life of me. Thank you so much

[@paddylandreville8501]

I see in you, a total dedication to music, so I subscribed and gave you a ''like''. Have a nice day sir and keep on posting.

[@echochambers777]

Your videos are great. Your delivery is soothing. The content is always informative. Good stuff.

[@erggish]

So for example in Chopin's prelude in Em, why do we also see a Bb in both right (Measure 4) and left (Measure 16) hand?

[@michaelngiam6270]

Thanks Robert! That's a technical explanation adults can appreciate, which got me thinking: are there learning aspects where younger students are naturally easier to work with than adult students?

[@LivingPianosVideos]

Each student presents unique personalities as well as strengths and weaknesses. However, like learning a foreign language as a young child, children naturally tend to have more plasticity to their brains than many adults. Overall, talented students tend to be more challenging to work with than less talented students. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing!

[@thatballerinnit1884]

You explain everything SO SO SO SO well, thanks a lot!

[@thisismoyukhsworld2022]

I love that Minor Version of The Intro Theme.

[@pilarkhder1505]

Wonderful, clear explanation. Thank you very much

[@BrandonMcBadass]

He’s always is in a different setting! I’m glad Roberts doing well during Covid-Times. He really does make good and quick content

[@music.gauri3]

I couldn't agree more! Robert's content has helped me so much over the years. I have learned a lot from him. Plus, he has always been consistent and provides top notch quality!

[@AnnaKhomichkoPianist]

Absolutely agree!

[@music.gauri3]

@@AnnaKhomichkoPianist ❤️

[@paulruez7906]

Just ran accross this and he really is good at explaining it, congratulations

[@5ucur]

I thought this was about listening to music and telling the key, but this was also pretty useful and interesting! Definitely subscribing ^^

[@p1anosteve]

A clear explanation but also it may help to be aware that a piece might change key from major to relative minor or the other way around.

[@LivingPianosVideos]

That's a subject for another video - modulation!

[@ihoundsmite]

2 minutes since upload and somehow it has a dislike - sacrilegious. Love your content.

[@music.gauri3]

Hilarious, dude! Sacrilegious indeed! 😂

[@AnnaKhomichkoPianist]

People are just ridiculous putting dislikes without even watching the video...

[@music.gauri3]

@@AnnaKhomichkoPianist People and rude and jealous.

[@ihoundsmite]

@@music.gauri3 Exactly, it's infuriating.

[@hudsonsoul1121]

YT should take the dislike thumb off completely and stick it somewhere in dark lonely smelly tight space permanently.

[@brendaboykin3281]

Thank you, Maestro 🌹🌹🌹

[@nm6818]

Amazing. Thank you, Thank you!

[@duannehaughton4893]

I love minor somber ending! Wonderful video Robert, thank you!

[@BrandonMcBadass]

Can you do a video on Diminished, Sustains and Augmentation, and how to use them in a melodic way?

[@AnnaKhomichkoPianist]

Great idea!

[@markE946]

Hi Robert, I love all of your videos, I'm relatively new to the piano, but have done huge amount of playing in a very short period of time (350hrs in 14 weeks) currently having a small break from the keyboard but have gone back to music theory which I love equally as much if not more in fact. I would just like to know if you are composing a simple melody right hand, here is an example; D5 F4# C5# E4 AND repeat this again, then end on playing F4# / B4 together This melody sounds unsettling, could it be in it's relative minor of B natual or it is simply D major that just sounds sad? I hope what I've written makes sense for a response **Footnote the note degrees are 1 3 7 2, applying this to B natural minor the following notes; B4 D4 A4 C4# (repeat again) This doesn't sound anymore sadder than it's relative major

[@benny25410]

I’m a little confused on how you identify if it’s melodic or harmonic do u just have to look for sharps or flats in a the score basing it on the melodic structure?

[@julioaltavas2257]

If it has a raised 7th it's harmonic. If both 6th and 7th notes are raised then it's melodic. Raising a note means that the note will become sharp, so you'll have to look for sharp 7ths or both sharp 6ths and 7ths on the piece instead of flats. Hopefully I've answered your question. If not, feel free to ask.

[@benny25410]

@@julioaltavas2257 thank you

[@julioaltavas2257]

@@benny25410 You're welcome.

[@LLO227]

By 1:03 I heard the exact same thing. Who's to say what does dark music sound like. 🤔

[@joemiya6689]

I have a question sir. So if there's a song that starts and end with A and sounds overall sort of "sad" but if there's no sharp for "entire song", would you say "it's A minor. But you could say C major."? I feel like a lot of current pop song sounds like "I can say minor or relative major, or vice versa " because there's no sharp on 7th or 6th. I know if a song has melodic or harmonic minor, it should be defined as minor. I'm more confused about how to define (or leave without definition) those songs that has only natural minor scale. Thank you so much for very kind instructions anyways. Best regards

[@LivingPianosVideos]

When you have no raised 7th, the music is probably based upon modes. I will be making a video on this subject!

[@joemiya6689]

I'm looking forward to it! Just so you know, when I was asking, I was trying to deconstruct about specific song called "dark side" by Alan Walker. When I googled they say the song is E minor. But usually I've been taking this type of songs in major key and just think them with number like VI=E not i=E. I'm self taught but hope it makes sense.. Anyways have a great day sir! @@LivingPianosVideos

[@HWLee-vu4hv]

Very helpful!

[@MrIrul-gg7ic]

A simple way is to listen to the song itself, cause sometime its hard to know if the piece is in minor or major

[@PatrickGunderson]

Hey Robert you keyboard is wild! Where did you get it?

[@LivingPianosVideos]

It is the second prototype I developed.

[@Nicofisi]

thanks you very much! that helped a lot :)

[@YaelEylatTanaka]

Yeah, how do you figure out whether a piece is in a major or minor key based solely on the key signature (since the relatives are the same)?

[@stuartpayne3180]

I would say that descending in a melodic minor, revert back tor he key signature..to me it avoids possibly complications..

[@amanmusicworld3667]

Which piano sound you are using sir

[@LivingPianosVideos]

You are hearing PianoTeq which provides a physical modeled pianos. Lately I have been using the K2 which is their own piano.

[@amanmusicworld3667]

@@LivingPianosVideos i also have this one but I prefer TruePiano. Please try that one to

[@duodecaquark3186]

Didn't know Mark Hammil taught music theory. Lol Great teacher

[@RodrigoFernandez-td9uk]

What is your secret to always be so happy

[@LivingPianosVideos]

When I share my passion for music, it's easy to feel great!

[@music.gauri3]

@@LivingPianosVideos You are so great, Robert! I really love your videos.

[@kevind3094]

What kind of piano is that?

[@LivingPianosVideos]

That is the second prototype I have developed which is a modular piano system which provides a virtual concert grand experience .

[@nuelnguyen6657]

Great!!

[@jewellevy]

What about just looking at the very last bass note of the whole piece? Every piece ends on the tonic. He made it very complicated.

[@atharvapallikulam9743]

My gohd where are the strings in the piano 🎹😰 Is that a ghost piano 😭

[@DAVE121063]

I believe it is a standard grand piano keyboard and action. However, the keys also have electrical contacts (which may be either light weight physical or optical switches - two per note that activate at different points of key travel so that the touch can be worked out). The output from these are connected to a midi signal generator. The midi signals are then sent to a sound module which reproduces the appropriate sound depending on the midi information (note, touch etc) and the instrument selected. It is basically a 'silent system' as can be fitted from new or retro-fitted to acoustic pianos, but using an amplifier and speakers rather than silent listening through headphones (silent to all but the player, by physically stopping the hammers hit the strings). Like adding digital piano innards to an acoustic piano, but here with only the keyboard and action of an acoustic. The best digital pianos also have a similar escapement mechanism to acoustic pianos and some even have dummy hammers. But, they still don't give the same feel and response as a full size grand piano keyboard and action, mainly because the keys are so much shorter, and are not usually wooden with lead weights added. Robert's piano, with its wooden full length weighted keys and standard action above however, will still feel like a concert grand to play.

[@atharvapallikulam9743]

@@DAVE121063 thank you so much brother that helped a lot 😀❤️🔥

[@atharvapallikulam9743]

@@DAVE121063 learned something new and out of the box this time considering my immense dedication to piano!

[@einark3846]

Nice intro

[@michaelngiam6270]

Jazz intro next!

[@martinkulik9466]

It would be helpful to make the coloured effect similar to synthesia piano roll because it's not always clear which key is pressed. Maybe there is some simple plugin to do that

[@LivingPianosVideos]

We are planning on using Synthesia software on some upcoming videos!

[@martinkulik9466]

@@LivingPianosVideos ok I don't know t&c of synthesia, but now I searched and there are youtube tutorials on "PIANO PARTICLES",. you can perhaps check different versions. For me as beginner and slow learner it's always hard to see which keys are pressed, and those particles or piano roll effects are much more helpful to see which keys are pressed

[@jcong000]

Chuck McGill

[@xuly3129]

C... (Me: alright, the root is C) G... (Me: is it major or minor?) E half flat... (Me: okay, it’s neither)

[@meganobrien6426]

Same... same... 🤣

[@trynalearnpiano315]

chuck

[@cabotcat1]

Confusing

[@joyk431]

First commentator

[@brendaboykin3281]

Then pls give us a more extended comment/commentary, friend. 🌹🌹🌹

[@joyk431]

@@brendaboykin3281 ya

[@music.gauri3]

Congratulations, haha!

[@joyk431]

@@music.gauri3 😀😀

[@music.gauri3]

@@joyk431 Your username and profile picture, match perfectly! Haha.