How to Find The Key of A Song - By Ear

How to find the key of a song - by ear - www.rhythmic.ca
Use your ear to find the key of a song. It takes seconds.
This is an awesome tutorial for all Musicians. Learn to find that key quickly and start playing your songs faster!
DJs learn how to figure out the key of a song quickly without using software analysis.
Remixers use this for putting different sources together.
Many more tutorials at www.rhythmic.ca

[@seniorstube6683]

I wish I would have learned music long ago...But I am trying still at 64...! Thank you.

[@Sh6q]

What instrument are you learning?

[@ericasimpson5686]

Seniors Tube yay way to go! It's never too late

[@adithyaroxor6398]

Erica Simpson you are late lol

[@ericasimpson5686]

Adithya RoXoR what?

[@JohanBesterphotos]

+Senior Tube You can live another 40 years and become a master! You have an advantage. You have more time on your hands. I assume you're retired.

[@angjohnsyin9517]

Teaching starts at 3:20, thank me later

[@AnkitRautMusic]

It's been 2 Years and nobody has Thanked You? How Rude!!

[@danielle9803]

THANK YOU

[@Docfly62]

A like is a thank you 😀

[@46pi26]

I think it's "later" now

[@lordprosperity7550]

Thank you. I thought this video is a spam or fake. You saved it. The author should realize that people don't have patience to listen to all the intro he gave.

[@teapot9514]

People with perfect pitch: *laughs in d sharp"

[@Sean-hc6bh]

is it possible to learn perfect pitch as a early adult?

[@jennyjay3552]

@@Sean-hc6bh Unfortunately, perfect pitch is something that is developed in early childhood and is very hard to get as an adult.

[@martingjini8478]

@@jennyjay3552 how old?Im 16 can i develop it?

[@jennyjay3552]

@@martingjini8478 I'm not sure, but even if you have it, it's not like you can use it for anything. Trust me, I have it.

[@martingjini8478]

@@jennyjay3552 u developed?

[@benja303]

1. Listen to the song 2. Do a sustained Hum 3. Find the note you are humming on the keyboard 4. Build the Minor or major scale of that note

[@vianney6397]

I don’t understand the last part I’m confused?

[@lucashansen9898]

@@vianney6397 if its a, a note, then put it in a, a minor or a major. It Will just dependts on what fits Best.

[@joaopaulogalloclaudino9671]

@@vianney6397 search for major and minor scales, is pretty simple, looks like a complex thing but its not, lets use the example of the major scale of c, in major scales you mark your first note ( c, for example ) and skip 2 seminotes, giving us d and e, then you mark the next seminote (f in our case) and now skip 3 seminotes, giving us g, a and b, now repeat in all octaves and you have the full major scale of c, but you can do this in every flat or sharp note in your keyboard (mark the inicial key, skip skip, seminote, skip skip skip), there is the minor scale too but i dont remember it now, search for major and minor scales on google, and compare them, youll see the pattern

[@markE946]

@@vianney6397 learn music theory and learn scales

[@vianney6397]

mark eakins ty

[@piijay14]

My only objection here is... Dont assume everything is in a minor Key! Most of Western Popular Music is still in a Major scale. The Blues scale is a good idea for RnB/Blues but when you get into other genres be open to the other major scales. Some tracks are harder to distinguish so try listening for the base line notes first if the piece has a base. Otherwise this technique is just fine!

[@natemusician1401]

I felt the same cause, I listened to the progression and it does gravitate towards the key of F major because of the III major and the absence of a Harmonic 7th, however I applaud his method as an intermediate step for beginner musicians. 😁

[@TheHesseJames]

@@natemusician1401 once you’ve found the dominant on your instrument just play the major chord and/or the minor chord and you’ll instantly know if the song is in major or minor as only one chord will sound “right”. I love his method because it strengthens your trust in your intuition and after a little practice it is a lightning fast method.

[@charpssss]

I HUMMED BEFORE YOU OID AND IT WORKED PERFECT THATS SO COOL

[@michaelsmith-obrien3850]

Same here! I thought I was tone deaf till I tried this!!! Maybe there is still hope!

[@Ava001]

Alex Charp same

[@davidsetjohansson7215]

THATS SO FUCKING COOOOL MAN!!!!!!!!!!!

[@davidsetjohansson7215]

I AGREEEE!!!!!!!!!

[@davidsetjohansson7215]

i did the same :D

[@1tingWasEnough]

"A secret of mine" *_video has 2M+ views_* me: Nice

[@stealthbeatle4945]

Simon Truijen More like Me: 69 You: Nice

[@wantlost5277]

shhhhhhhhh...

[@yugodeandrawirayudha4908]

Not a secret anymore, eh?

[@CAVEDOLLtv]

Even as a (self-taught) musician with going on 30 years experience, I found this tutorial to be an incredibly useful and eye/ear-opening lesson! Will be putting the technique to use regularly. Thanks!

[@channakasvideos8002]

The key of the first song is G minor. The author was humming the 5th note, which is D. Here is how I get the chord at any point in a song, not just the signature key. Listen to the section, and hum the arpeggio. That is the chord. And when the tune resolves, and returns home, that chord is the signature key - the key of the song. Hope you got something out of this. It works for me. Cheers.

[@ricomajestic]

dorian, phrygian or aeolian?

[@ricomajestic]

The trick is getting the chord that it resolves to - the tonal center, especially if the tonal center chord comes at the very end.

[@xerus7425]

I have always struggled finding chord progressions by ear without trial and error, will try that - just as this video finally helped me reliably find the key. These techniques are so simple yet not widely taught...

[@gregsbest]

Wow, what a super lesson; and I'm a beginner. I was told as a child , I didn't have the 'ear', so I gave up. But Hey, you're really helping here . That's my goal to play by ear, and learn to play with others. Thanks so much for the straightforward-yet simple lesson. All I need to do now is practice this. You're quite a star. Thanks from western Canada. gk.

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

gregsbest Some of the best music ever has been made by people who have been told they didn't have the ear. I would use that only as a challenge! :)

[@topfunmedia2416]

A lot of successful people always get told they "don't have" the certain skillset to do stuff. I hate when people pretentiously say "oh don't have this or don't have that". All you need is the passion or interest and are willing to learn. This is for anything in life, if you have the drive to learn and teach yourself, then you can literally do anything. You are not born with the skill to play instruments, you learn and grew into using them. All I can say is keep it up man and never let anyone's comments get in the way of what you want to do. Also to Rhythmic Canada, keep up the good work, videos are brilliant, I'm intermediate at playing the piano but you tutorials even help me find simpler methods to do things which is great (my mind tends to over complicate things and I get bogged down on small details, which leads to frustration, which then leads to me saying "fuck it" and giving up for a few hours lol). This tutorial has helped me listen to music and be able to play back an accurate interpretation of songs I want, It was always the root note that got me stuck. So yeah sorry for this long winded comment but cheers mate, all the best from the UK :)

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

TopFunMedia Thanks man! :)

[@exoressdelivers70]

i can't say enough how this has helped me. God bless you sir and keep you. You, my dear man, have done much good here.

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Thank you for the words. I'm happy it has helped so much :)

[@Mishtiman]

@@RhythmicCanadaStudio Yes, thx. Ideally, music teachers shud be teaching this, but they don't. I learnt this on my own, what u taught here. Ear has to pick up the harmony. Thx for ur clip!! :)

[@GenePalmiter]

I'm 64 too and I've helped form a New Orleans Style Jazz Band. The music is very forgiving! After a couple of months on cowbell and tambourine someone donated a fluglelhorn and I started learning. I don't have keyboard but I do have a tuner for my horn and I have a kazoo collection. It works!

[@gregoryxyz4812]

I feel released. Like I've been given a key to learning the key. Genius is only present in simplicity. This knowledge has bought me joy. I have been improv'ing on the sax for 30 years always believing I was tone deaf but picked the hums, tried the technique and now I can fly.....gratitude.

[@savvyeyemedia]

This has got to be the best video I have watched related to music theory. You are awesome!!!!

[@joeylamour]

I just watched for the first time and I literally shouted when I got one correct on my own and then the next 10... this is just... so cool.

[@RexyFan]

Omg ! This technique is pure gold ! I was playing keys for church and held a note, I told the singers to jump in and start singing... big mistake, cos they jumped into a whole different key which I couldn’t figure out! I wish I knew this years ago. I literally just jumped into other random KZbin clips and watched gospel songs, country songs etc to test this theory... and I found all the keys in under 3 seconds !! Wow! You sir... are amazing ! Thank you, thank you and thank you !!! I will never be lost trying to find a key of a song again! Pure genius !

[@leakissick2935]

Brilliant! It takes a truly intelligent person to make a person discover a talent they didn't know they had.

[@rmsoft]

It's not a talent, it's biology.

[@buzzerking]

@@rmsoft Isn't that what most people think talent is?

[@infant4ever]

3D Space It’s like I knew I had a perfect pitch but didn’t know it was a thing lol

[@viveknatarajan9219]

I can't believe this actually works tho. I tried Bach, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, john Coltrane, Miles Davis and like 12 others and it worked every single time, even on the most jumbled sounding, complex pieces.

[@user-np3mj3bf6f]

+Vivekn Natarajan Try Schoenberg's Piano Concerto ^^

[@Boa345able]

Nίκος Σκαλκώτας c

[@patriciasmall6037]

Hi. I just found out the key of There Is a Balm in Gilead (online chorus). Because of Rhythmic Canada I was able to find the key for that song. Amazing. I have always played by note and have never questioned my seeming inability to play by ear in all of my 73 years! This video has given me new hope for my musical ability and progress. Thanks so very, very much!

[@BluBeep]

Patricia Small awesome!

[@funnyguy6197]

3:30. The actual shit starts at 3:30

[@desu38]

Thank you!

[@jettpeterson8968]

Thank you, god damn.

[@Astrosmommy26]

thanks man

[@birthdwt8859]

run

[@cdmunoz10]

Danke :3

[@jecsivelasquez8305]

This put such a smile on my face when i learned it!!!!!🤗🤗🤗

[@sharynross3975]

I’ve been doing that for years but I called it playing by ear. You articulated so well. Now I get it. It’s like a math problem that you can find the answer but can’t explain how you got there. Thank you!

[@jeffschrepfer3618]

This is very helpful. The only thing I would add is that once you have the tonic, the easiest way to figure out if it is major or minor is to just see if the note 3 half steps up works with the tune (in which case it is minor) or whether the note 4 half steps up works with the tune (in which case it is major). It won't ever be both. Actually, in both of your examples, the first note that I hummed (for whatever reason) was the minor third, not the tonic. To me that was the most overwhelming, and telltale, note of the song.

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Good addition to the major/minor test! Thanks!

[@bradrobison8413]

Jeff Schrepfer, excellent point with the major or minor third. TY.

[@wasikhan7741]

Nice add to the major/minor thing!

[@jakovslim6997]

This is helpful advice, thank you!

[@shcxatter2]

maaaan this is ingenious, the human brain is a truly remarkable thing

[@boldcautionproductions9203]

Yeah, but what's telling you that? : )

[@theerealatm]

BoldCautionProductions that reply is golden.

[@SmokeAlarmBeeps]

Dude this video was mind blowing when I first heard it in 2014. It’s the best technique I hold till this day.

[@lianestennes6492]

Thank you! Thank you! I'm a singer and don't play the piano and it's hard to tell musicians which key I want so it's always been a guess. By the way, looking and listening to your video I always got the basic note running through the song almost right away. I'm going to get my keyboard out (that i don't know how to play) and find the keys of my favorite songs. Thanks again!

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

You're very welcome! Glad to hear it's been if help!

[@mariomoyaproject]

If they are really good piano players you should not tell them what key you are singing the song. They should deal how to figure it out. That’s what good musicians do.

[@gitarkatili]

masterkid4u - That's what a good musician can do, not a must.

[@mu3ic2]

Your voice, is perfect for radio

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Thanks!

[@tylermcay6676]

How is listening to music so relaxing but learning it so stressful?

[@raian4815]

Because when your a professional, in anything, you make it look easy but its always hard to learn. This goes for anything, drawing, singing, learning instruments and etc.

[@genopierpoint8887]

I spent the last hour watching tutorials on this shit and yours was the most straight forward, effective and simplistic.. No doubt braw..

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Geno Pierpoint thanks man

[@kcstart6265]

This is awesome! Your teaching is so clear and straight forward. If you aren’t teaching, you should be! Thanks so much.

[@eddiek132]

YOU TUBE CONTENT CREATORS TAKE NOTE: Here is why I SUBSCRIBED: Aside from it being informative , entertaining , and well presented, the #1 reason i subbed is because HE DIDN’T ASK FOR IT. THANK YOU Rhythmic Ca!

[@carlkolchak4437]

i am shocked. i was able to hum the right note before you did. now i need to learn how to build scales. thanks

[@Shannxy]

He just told you in the video how to build minor scales, TSTTSTT

[@carlkolchak4437]

thats for one type of scale, minors! i need to review my scales. but thanks for playing.

[@carlosg3799]

what is a scale i didnt understand that part??

[@DragunSlyer]

To make it easy, a scale is a group of notes that sound good together. But that's really just simplified.

[@sawmesalami]

Then why are you here? If you don't understand the basics of music then this is completely irrelevant to you.

[@KeesBoer]

Wow, one of the best lessons in music I have gotten in 45 years!!!

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Thank you

[@kevennguyen3332]

You are a genius. Not only you understand music but you can transfer your knowledge. You have music teaching talent. I want to watch some more of your videos please.

[@geethabalasupramaniyan4675]

Will God only knows how many musicians you have helped by posting this video. Good bless

[@88Doug]

Facts! I am rapping and singing with autotune and want to keep learning!

[@crollwtide9452]

As far as choice of major/minor goes, that would depend on the mood of the song part you're trying to play. Major tends to give you bright or happy tones, while minors give you dark or sad tones.

[@matthewboyea3860]

Holy shit!! I did this on my electric guitar, and I got D# for the first song - thank you sooo much, this helps a metric button!!

[@robmillist]

Easy to watch, easy to understand, and fun!

[@da_devils_skirt2839]

Just have to leave a comment. I was going with it, but I kind of freaked when you were starting to hum the same note as me xD It works! Brains are magical.

[@bradrobison8413]

Wowwwwww! Watched this a couple of days ago. Went to a practice last night. Tried it. I play trumpet by ear 'cause I don't have access to horn parts. Never paid attention to keys before. Just fiddled around 'till I found the right notes. Now, after memorizing the keys (circle of 5ths) and using your technique to find the key, I can jump right in with confidence and no guess work about notes. SO TOTALLY AWESOME! TY! Next up -- get more familiar with minor and blues scales.

[@stevepuett6354]

This has been an interesting lesson for me. I know little of the modes but have learned from this. The key for the first song has one flat, Bb. That would make it F major or D minor. However, since it sounds like it's resolving to G minor (treating G minor like a tonic chord), it fits that it is indeed F major in Dorian mode starting on G minor, just as SwagDerpBrah commented earlier.

[@tsguyoldchannel2691]

I love how everyone is arguing about the key of the song... on a video on how to find the key of a song...

[@AmericanIdiot2002]

It's because he's wrong... on a video on how to find the key of a song...

[@luiggigomez580]

Jared Worman how

[@peacemekka]

@@AmericanIdiot2002 no he's kinda right. I got the method for the first time in my life. I could understand how the hell are they able to tell the scale of a song.

[@raian4815]

@@peacemekka Lmao its the key of the song, not scale. The scale is a combination of keys to either indicate major or minor. There are also other scales for the root notes but I don't know what they are lmao.

[@southpark5555]

Back again. Whoever you are that taught us this in the video ------ we owe you big time. That was one of the best gifts ever. You are awesome. For the second song ------ I originally thought F#, but can see what you mean .... root note really is D# as you mentioned. Nice!

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

D# or Eb.. Blues in Eb is very common. Glad it helps :)

[@captsunhainan]

when you was humming the music I was like :" who's calling my phone?" hah...

[@edwardderouchie9545]

Got the first one, missed the second by 1 note. I can see with practice were a fella could master this technique. Thanks a lot man,

[@adriansandry2783]

I hummed a third above but knowing that 5% of the time we get it wrong and instead of the tonic choose the third or the fifth is extremely helpful. Now I'll start practicing.

[@ReasonMakes]

I really enjoy your style of commentary. Very relaxing.

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Thanks man

[@LarryS378]

skip to 4 minutes for when it starts :)

[@AnimAHipHopTV]

Laura Richardson omg thank you!

[@LarryS378]

XiiX Music no problem :)

[@ejiro241]

You just saved a life. Lol

[@aakksshhaayy]

+Laura Richardson i was able to jack off twice in the time i saved

[@tonicapuozzo1442]

+aakksshhaayy lmaoo

[@xRS23x]

Wow I just started to learn bass and finding the key of the songs by your method was incredible, can't believe i got it. Thank you! Hurray for our brains

[@spacevspitch4028]

I hear the D you're humming in the first song as being the 5th. So to my ear, the song is in Gm minor.

[@isohel9889]

Same here Iam also hearing the d as the fifth and so the song being in g minor

[@DustinRudzinski]

Same here, though D fits just as well.

[@MMLe2012]

Hi there! Your trick can definitely do the trick! Lol! But I would argue the first song is actually in the key of G minor. I believe a G, when humming, underlies the entire song, plus G minor is the starting chord.

[@kamhinleong397]

I got a G minor too. Was surprised he got a different tonic than mine.

[@anthonyrose194]

I had hummed g and was confused Bc my ear is pretty good

[@SamStormsKBD]

The first chord is Gm but it's actually in the key of Dm, the tonic is Dm. It's not because a song starts in a chord that it means that's the key of it.

[@swagderpbrah1379]

Sam Azevedo Since G is the home note though you would call it G dorian

[@SamStormsKBD]

@@swagderpbrah1379 yeah, I took a time to study more after that. I never thought I could name a key with " note + mode ". This helped me quite a lot, actually

[@TheMuzikall]

I am blessed with this talent...listen listen listen and play....it's a bit like reading and remembering what you read...

[@TheRectorscale]

7:00 "Almost all songs are written in the MINOR key"? Nope, incorrect. The vast majority of songs are in MAJOR.

[@tvoommen4688]

True, Major. You find songs in minor key so rarely.

[@HyukBurgersTV]

Brian Rector most modern music is in minor

[@yungk6043]

Brian Rector ya tht part of the video threw me off too. Everyone knows the majority of songs out there start with Major Keys.

[@HyukBurgersTV]

Tim K 1) most modern songs are in minor keys. 2) "start off with a major key" makes no sense. most songs don't have key changes, and again, most are in minor key. 3) are you confused by what key means?

[@yungk6043]

Alex Davis Honestly, i dont really remember saying this i mightve phrased it wrong. ive studied music my whole life. And Okaaaay "music God" tryna get all smart wit me and shit 😂😂😂

[@moozartney]

My best moment in life was when I was drinking with some friends and I guessed the key of the beer bottle as I blew air into it. I was right, it was in the key of B!!! My friends didnt seem to care, but yeah guess I got perfect pitch or somethin..

[@Rich-Beautiful-Africa]

Hahaha

[@giannakiskotsinoxorka1011]

Thats not a key my dude. Key is the scale not the note

[@giannakiskotsinoxorka1011]

But noice

[@BCSoHappy]

@@giannakiskotsinoxorka1011 The word can refer to either the key or the particular note.

[@HousemusicHeaven]

@@giannakiskotsinoxorka1011 just let him enjoy in ignorance dude

[@johnmorrisett9112]

I cannot believe how easy this was to pick up. After watching your video I hit randomize on my player and got the key to every song that came up. Thank you very much for this video!

[@deividasandriuska1925]

This is magic man. Send peace ✌️ and love you your ends.

[@FutureAbe]

IMO the most natural thing is to hum the bass note in each chord - not to find the note that all the triads share, fx. If you do this, you will get the correct sense that the Key in the first song is G minor, not D minor. After having listened to the whole song, ask yourself "what chord would I start off this song with?" or more accurately: "what sounds like the most natural way to END the song in?" As my old music teacher used to say, we need to get back "home" and, as for the first song, the D minor chord doesn't sound like the most possibly fulfilling closure, ie. it doesn't appear to be the actual Tonic placement that we're setting out to find, given the emphasis on the G chord at the beginning of the bars. Listen to the cues from the vocals and the structure of the verses/choruses!

[@freddielo4330]

+RenoRojas XD By humming the bass note(yes he mean root note) , you are basically singing a simplify version of the chords in the song, then by looking at the relationship of the chords you have sung, you would find the most suitable Tonic for the song. On the other hand, that "The last chord is always the key" thing, I have a better version of that. I would say "the resolving chord is the key of a phrase", since a song can change key through out the song(especially classical songs), What is a resolving chord you might ask. The resolving chord is the so call "home" by Abe Grimm, it has the feeling of resolving, much like releasing of a spring. The chord progression would build up tension in a spring, and by returning to the resolving chord, the phrase gets to release its tensions. I'll explain more in the next comment.

[@freddielo4330]

+RenoRojas XD My theory of "the resolving chord is the key of a phrase" is always true (if you're not listening to Atonal music), because musicians always want to build up tensions in their songs, whether they resolve it later or not, the Resolving Chord Stays true for a phrase. There are many songs that don't end up in their resolving chord, may be the composer intended to keep the tension (just like those cliffhangers in soap drama). A key of a song is most likely THE first resolving chord that belongs to the first phrase[might be a melody or a simple chord progression(much like Cannon in D)], OR, the most frequently resolving Chord of the song. That how I would define the key of a song

[@gregorybarned4557]

The E flat confirms it"s in G minor

[@turkeypedal]

An E-flat would confirm it, but the song has a C major chord in it, so that's E natural.

[@jakedrawe1160]

Very nice i have been playing for 25years never heard of this before. Very useful thank you

[@mitchib1440]

Fantastic! This is amazing! You deserve so much more recognition for this.

[@dummytri]

When trying to find the key I do the same exact thing he does I’m the video. (Just trying time find the root by humming) Idk if he forgot to say this or he just doesn’t do it. But let’s say if the song has a G root, I would play the major and minor scales with the song to see which one fits more

[@matthewbowen2132]

Dumbblueboy when you hum the root note it should give off a dark vibe (in relation to the other notes) for the song if it’s in a minor key. Otherwise, if it’s a light/happy sound, it’s major.

[@tanner953]

I just happened to check this out...you are on point with this. I naturally play by ear...and pick up pretty fast ...all that you explained is exactly correct. Sometimes you might stumble on the note but not in that key it's truly in. It happens. One thing i will say to the readers of this comment section is learn a song for fun start simple...pratice practice practice!

[@CarlCampbell]

R. Kelly is always in D minor... See what I did there? :P

[@AFadedGuy]

LMAOO

[@KnockSquared]

LMAO

[@joshuatland]

I don't know what I was expecting the first comment to be, but I'm glad it was that one.

[@JdGroetsch]

he plays in A. minor quite frequently as well

[@LadyHawke78]

I See Wat U Did Thar. And I LOL'd. HARD. XD

[@rakeshmittu]

wow!!!!!!!!! You just made my life so easy :)

[@RazorianBuck]

ive been playing music for 25 years and I was ready to think this vid was a waste of my time. Surprising enough I never thought of this and it really works. Great vid!

[@echfx9201]

Him: listen to the song with your heart Me: thinking of golden wind *haha, i do that*

[@shipper66]

OMH I hummed the same pitch as you did. Where can I wire the million dollars for you sir ?

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

shipper66 lol

[@martywilsonlife]

Nice! Figuring out how to bang out a melody is much easier if you know what key the song is in. Four step plan: 1) Listen to the music, 2) Hum whatever feels right (it will probably be the tonic note), 3) Find the note on your instrument, 4) Build the scale. 'Very helpful! Thanks! This will help me with my ear training!

[@spacevspitch4028]

Also, the next level of this kind of skill is to learn how all 12 notes sound against a key center so you can randomly play any note on your instrument and based on the way it sounds, you can tell what key it is. For example, if you play a C and it sounds like b2, then you know you're in the key of B (C is the b2 in the key of B). If it sounds like the 3rd, the song is in the key of Ab (C is the 3rd in the key of Ab), etc.

[@JustinJosephrockz]

You just taught me something I had been looking for years. God bless you brother. Great explanation, great visualization and in simple terms Thanks a lot !

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Glad I was of service! :)

[@MyStiCstudios777]

What an absolutely amazing video. This was created before the entire music copyright BS that took place on KZbin. A time when people can truly express themselves and teach or entertain using music to the fullest extent.

[@Blueaspen391]

I think the key could also be G on the first example. The reason why there is not just one answer is - in my humble opinion- that this is not typical tonal music like the music from the classical era ( Beethoven, Mozart...) where the Key of a piece was always well established. This is not the case in modal music. Don't try to train yourself to find the tonic with modal music or you'll go nuts. Start with the easiest examples - I'd suggest phrases or excerpts by Mozart, Beethoven , etc. They normally made the listener feel clearly which note was the tonic and which was the dominant by the constant use of tonal cadences, semi cadences, and mostly by the harmonic rhythm -the proper relation between chords and measure beats.

[@smokinjoewilson]

blueaspen Correct, kinda, there is a relationship between major and minor, it is a good idea to learn what they are.

[@Blueaspen391]

I don't see what "major and minor" has to do with what I said, sorry

[@joewilson6642]

blueaspen there is always a relative minor for any major that is my point. However a song cannot be in two keys at the same time only one, In this case D minor.

[@Blueaspen391]

Joe, I think you didn't understand my explanation. What you say about a song being impossible having 2 keys is generally true for TONAL music. But not all music is tonal, not all songs belong to tonal music. If you try gregorian songs (modal music, not tonal) you'll see that establishing the tonic is not obvious as when you listen to Schubert, Hydn, Mozart, etc

[@joewilson6642]

I do agree with you about finding the root or tonic, there are types of music that does make it a little more difficult to find the root. I will add that it can be difficult if not almost impossible for some people.

[@Reydriel]

You can tell if it's a minor key or a major key by how the song feels :P If it's moody or emotional, it's a minor key (a no brainer for Trance music :P). If it's happy sounding, it usually a major key (it can be minor sometimes) :)

[@carlw]

Good point.

[@maxinebabazadeh2743]

This tutorial taught me more in minutes than years of music classes :)) Thank you, changed my life.

[@1lifeleftmusic680]

Reflekt - Need to Feel Loved is one of the best songs out there... TY for using it :)

[@James888JJ]

This is epic. You are a musical saviour !

[@palladionfraudster2103]

Thanks you - i have been looking for this for year but no one ever help me with a technique so easy like this one . i feel like i know everything now .

[@JustForFunRC]

You have successfully reprogrammed my brain. I'm amazed. Thanks :D

[@DenVuTv]

That voice should be on the radio

[@KRISPEdnb]

I learned to play by ear. I dont really know theory as much as I should. This video REALLY helped me when Im doing remixes for other artists!. Extra special large ups for this!!

[@paulkazjack]

This sounds to me like it's in g minor! Though all through the piece it deviates to f# and to Am. Good use of the Cm chord throughout.

[@constmusic1]

Lol it’s not, it’s in D minor (or F major which is made of the same notes)

[@DustinRudzinski]

I hear it too... G fits perfectly over every chord played, as well as D does.

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Thanks everyone. I can't reply to everyone but I do read each comment. Much love to you all.

[@2PACalbum320kbps]

thnx brother for your video subsprice

[@explodinghead75]

***** If you can use your computer with your keyboard the best thing would be to buy a keyboard controller for your computer. You can't use it by itself, but it can be used with most music software to take advantage of your computer.

[@asnfhtmlzxsje274]

Please tell me how to work out Chords ( played on left side of piano ) for d Melody ( played on d right side ). What is d relation between Melody and Chord. I played a Melody wid Octave ,it sounded good to me but one tutorial was playing chord along wid d same melody dat too sounded cool, so how to decide to play either octve/or chord along wid melody ????

[@justusplayer1496]

It's amazing. I listened your example in the first song and in the second i did find on pos 10:10 by myself the same like you hummed on pos 10:15 Some teachers are unpayable. I have a lot of good music ideas and people like you helping me to realize this. 1000 thanks. You can imagine that it is a tragedy to hear / develop music in your brain without are able to play it.

[@MrCameron9000]

Rhythmic Canada I have relative pitch, not perfect pitch. However, that doesn't matter. I've been able to find a key of a song in about 20 seconds for a few months.

[@jmerlo4119]

Wow! Where was this video hiding all these years? I think I got it right away... must do some practice. Great! Thank you Rhythmic Ca.

[@afamhillz]

Thank you and God bless you for your knowledge.

[@KrowplexMusicHD]

I've surpised myself knowing the key of the song even before you start explaining how to do it haha.

[@exoressdelivers70]

+Wouter Huysentruit not all of us are so gifted. so we need these tutorials. thankfully there are unselfish people who think it not robbery to share their knowledge with the world via KZbin.

[@grandmaitredesmarionnettes1038]

+Exoress Delivers this is not knowledge, literally every guitarist I know does this, even the ones who are beginners. (the only musicians I play with are guitarists x). srry for bad eng lol.

[@Erazmaus]

+Stratcat How does what you just said make it something other than knowledge?

[@grandmaitredesmarionnettes1038]

Tarkyn Gavin Because singing a note and trying to find it on the fretboard/keyboard in order to find the key is just common sense. I'd call it a "musical life hack" rather than knowledge.

[@hotdog3392]

Grand Maître des Marionnettes Well you know about it don't you? You know that it's common sense right? That's knowledge.

[@mtmals9786]

I saved this lesson years ago. Trying to play a background track close to Goldsmith's China Town I checked into this lesson and fixed on the key of C major -melody starts with a sustained C and D. Beautiful. On DAW trumpet.

[@joshwd3152]

Thanks bro! I can't tell you how many improv bass lines I've written using this technique!

[@pieguy159]

This man, is a sorcerer. Teach me your ways senpai.

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Thanks hopefully have a few more out soon

[@GypsyEncounters]

Wowwww.... Many thanks. I landed an octive higher, while humming to the r & b song...but still landed in the right key.♥️♥️🙌 Never been able to find a key before. Such a great video

[@Albin_Evald]

artist/song/name: Reflekt - Need To Be Loved (Adam K & Soha Vocal Mix)

[@MrDesertPunk]

You're the best person ever

[@imAsryak]

FindingLuis Reflekt - Need To Be Loved (Adam K & Soha Vocal Mix), to be more precise :)

[@Girlslolcrazy]

THANKYOUUUU :D

[@MrFrak0207]

j46 thank you!!!

[@swagderpbrah1379]

The first one isn’t a good example at all - the key is actually G Dorian, not D Minor. G Dorian has the same notes as D Minor (all white notes with one Bb) but starts on a G instead. This song has a home chord of G Minor, so naturally G is the tonic, not D. So if you hummed a G for the first one instead, then you were actually right. G is the tonic.

[@ryanoshredmaster5305]

Yeah that was pissing me off. I was humming G and found the notes of G dorian. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@stevepuett6354]

Agreed. Gmin definitely the one chord!

[@danbinfu5724]

Agreed

[@shannonwhite4277]

Thanks... I went to G in like 3 seconds and this had me questioning my ear. G is the tonic in this song.

[@lent_ils]

Oh my God I went to F# with my brain, without an instrument, and thought I was completely off because he said D, but I kept thinking that I wasn’t humming D because D fits lower in my chest?? and you’re telling me I was right?! 😱😱😱 or I mean only a semitone off?? I was so sure I was humming F# 😂

[@AdhamMGhaly]

This video is BRILLIANT, you are BRILLIANT, and your effort and teaching method is BRILLIANT.

[@AgentMcQueen]

Incredible work mate! To think I actually got here after watching a Game of Thrones vid...

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Thanks man!

[@anonInDE]

I always seem to hum a different note :/

[@jamesblobb7115]

+Rudy_Eila Humming seems unnecessary to me. Couldn't you just travel up the notes of your instrument until you find the root note?.

[@anonInDE]

Yes but how would I know which note is actually the root? I usually tend to figure out the key of a song by playing close attention to which chords the verses open and end with. And the first and last chord of a song. They're usually the same as the key. But it's not always the case... maybe 80%.

[@zorlix5645]

+Rudy_Eila It's a note that can be held and will sound right over all of the chord progression

[@XBlueM0ndayX]

+Rudy_Eila I feel like this technique isn't always going to be helpful for beginners. You need to reach that stage (which happens pretty early on) where you can start to get pretty comfortable with recognising pitch first.

[@coolbluelights]

Me too, I picked up on A# almost immediately

[@HARSHRIVASTAVA]

Videos like this... Works for a century ♥️ Thankyou man

[@oooKiLLaHooo]

I have reason to believe that most songs are NOT in minor keys

[@PlayaflyJoe27]

oooKiLLaHooo 😂😂😂😂😂 right

[@mudgelord]

And I just have Reason

[@redbrown7355]

Actually, there are more songs in R&B music and music in general, that are minor not major. So your reasoning is off so I wouldn't trust your reasoning.

[@mudgelord]

@@redbrown7355 i honestly agree. I know a lot more songs in minor

[@candidx5315]

Huh? Minor keys are extremely popular

[@caramelapple3450]

omg this person is great woooow my mind is blown

[@RhythmicCanadaStudio]

Caramel apple whoa cool! Thanks :)

[@caramelapple3450]

u r welcome

[@jackdellad4602]

Thankyou for that man. You have a most unselfish attitude, people need to have that same thinking. They will learn and understand a whole lot more...And they will be so much more contented.

[@edigabrieli7864]

Starting from the C I did hear the D immediately, I play a D minor chord and there it was, it took me 5 seconds listening and 2 seconds to figure it out.

[@gitarkatili]

First I hummed in G. Then I started going between Dm and F while finding on instrument. Damn, seeing those comments saying it's Bb. I need another tactic for this.

[@firswyhyoch3717]

I can't believe I really learn how to recognize the key in many pop song just by 8min in this video!!!!!!!

[@rchrdnsh]

The first song is in G Dorian, not D Minor. They share the same notes, but the tonal center is different. You were off by a perfect 5th. The second song is correct.

[@rchrdnsh]

On closer inspection (listening to the whole song all the way through), I'm still leaning in the direction of G minor, with a borrowed 4 major chord. I described it as G dorian in my initial post to keep it simple, but it seemed to be misinterpreted. The reason why I still consider the key center to be G minor is that after listening through the entire song it's clear that there is an emphasis placed on the G minor chord, as it is played first in the progression, and for two measures, while the D minor and C major chords are each played for one measure each. This is then followed by the Bb major chord for four measures, and this chord could be interpreted as either the 6th chord in D minor or the 3rd chord (relative major) in G minor. So, if interpreted as G minor, then more compositional stress is being put on G minor and Bb major, the 1 and 3 chords of G minor, respectively. The melody seems to emphasize the note G a little bit more as well, as it is not only the first note that is played, but the melody then plays the note d, which would be the fifth note in G, then returns to G again, creating a 1 5 1 relationship in the melody. If analyzed in d, then that relationship would be a 4 1 4 relationship, which is a less convincing analysis. I also feel much more comfortable improvising in G minor than D minor, and the note G is where the melody always comes back to when it cycles through again. What makes the melody a little ambiguous is that Bb is never used in the melody, which would completely tip the scales in favor of G minor if it was there. There is also no F#, which would be the leading tone of G, so that would strengthen G minors case as well. So the melody is ambiguous, but does seem to place more emphasis on the note G by virtue of it's placement in the composition, more than anything else. Don't take my word for it, though, try it for yourself. Improvise in both D Minor and G Minor over the song and see which one feels more natural to you. G minor feels more natural to me, but this could, however, simply be that i have more affection for borrowed 4 major chords in minor keys (The C major chord here, which I am a big fan of :-) This is actually a really interesting example overall, however, as it really does straddle the line between G minor and D minor, and I would not be upset if one of my students were to analyze this song in either key. I think at the end of the day, though, I must favor G minor as the most accurate answer, simply because it feels more compelling to improvise in that key over the progression, rather than in D minor, and for the aforementioned harmonic and melodic reasons. Great example though, and will probably use this one in class with my students. Thanks for pointing it out +Don Gato XD

[@freddielo4330]

+Richard Nash buddy don't worry I think that it is quite controversial to say it definitely, to me, I agree all that you have said, but if the artist is intended to write it in D minor, I would say it doesn't sound like it.

[@hazenclough4212]

+Richard Nash i heard it in g too. the note he keeps humming sounds like a V that wants to go to I

[@Lalaland.001]

+Richard Nash My key calculator in Logic Pro tells me the "need to feel loved" song by Reflekt is in Dm, so your entire essay seems to be biased on your personal preference and is flawed. You could also try a plethora of online key calculators and they will all tell you the same, the human ear unless it has perfect pitch, is not flawless unlike specialized software. I rest my case

[@SOULRELIEF22]

Joeys48 !!! St John 3:16! 💖 MUCH more important to be emphatic about!