Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

How To Find The Key A Song Is In – EP160

Description

Have you ever walked into a jam session and had no idea what key everyone was playing in? Or have you ever wanted to improvise along with one of your albums but had no idea where to even begin? In this week’s guitar lesson I’ll show you the method I use to find the key a song is in. I’ll give you a blues solo with just 6 notes and I’ll also provide you with 12 jam tracks (in different keys) so you can start practicing in different keys.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walk-Through

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  5. CliffordLance says

    It’s hard to believe how much content Brian offers for a measly $1.75 a week! The monthly premium membership is about the cost of a single drink from Starbucks. Just think about it! I don’t always love every lesson, because I’m not into finger picking. But I know a lot of members are and Brian is being fair in how he crafts his lessons. Even if every lesson isn’t exactly my cup of tea, nearly all are. My point being, there’s not a better deal out there in online lessons. If you were having one-on-ones win a teacher, you’d probably be paying $30 for a half hour lesson, and you’d have none of the other content Active Melody offers. Do your self a favor and try the premium membership for a couple of months. I don’t think you will regret it.

  8. Rock Star Daddy says

    Thanks Brian

    Finding the key has been a issue for me. But this lesson really helped me out.
    finding the key wasn’t to hard when I blocked out everything and zoned in on the one cord.
    I really got into the lead better than usual after finding the key on my own.

    Thanks again! Jim

  10. Pwilsonscott says

    Hi Brian. This is wonderful, playing along with a backing track is so much fun, makes you feel part of a band. Would it be possible to add a single backing track for a minor blues, say the B minor as the 4 chord, the F Sharp minor as the one chord and the C Sharp 7 as the turnaround chord. You play this as an example but I don’t think its one of the downloadable ones. The 2 additional minor notes really do pull the electronic lead into a new direction. So cool. Many thanks.

  11. Badger (4FingerPhil) says

    Fantastic Brian, yet again, another really helpful lesson, you explain everything so well. If only I had more time!!! Running my own business is seriously interfering with my learning progress. So jealous of the retired members! Ha, cheers Phil

  12. JohnStrat says

    Brian

    A great idea for a lesson. I am certain it will help me up a notch with my playing as it will for many others. So thanks for the effort you put into this, and all the lessons that you so evidently make, to help and teach us.

    John Strat

  13. Tremelow says

    Masterpiece, Brian! I was surprised at first, because there is already a short (very useful) lesson on finding the key within the Blues Lead Guitar Chord. This one, however, is so much more. Thanks !

    • teeMan says

      Brian as usual a thorough well prepared lesson with a nice melody.

      However the licks are quite advanced, and I spend more time trying to do them than focusing on the music theory.
      It will take me a few weeks to get the bends and other fretboard moves really going when I think your intent is to have us think about what’s going on musically now.

      Have been a member for several years and use your site all the time….and it has improved my playing a lot.

      Thanks,

      teeMan

  16. Duffy P says

    Great lesson. Very clear approach. I learned to do this by listening to the bass line. This approach strikes me as being better as a starting point.

    I have a quibble, however. You have labeled the jam tracks with sharp keys. Typically, the only sharp key is F#. The others are Bb, Eb, Ab and Db, not A#, D#, G#, and C#. It would make a difference if someone goes to p,at with horn players.

  21. Bluesplayer24 says

    Brian,
    You just continue to amaze ……This is excellent material to learn what I believe to be a very important skill. You’ve done such a marvelous job teaching this and explaining the ins and outs of this subject . We, your students will benefit for years to come. You are one heck of a master communicator and teacher. I have actually come to the place in my playing where I can hardly wait for the next lesson !!! I’m at a loss to describe the significant advantage I’ve had since joining Active Melody. Truly ,Thank you very much.

  22. WBlues says

    Brian, this is a very helpful Lesson!! Exactly with this topic, I torture myself for some time. I think this is Material for several weeks of work. You can now drive in holiday. LOL
    Thanks for that.

    Wilfried

  23. tommc says

    Thanks for posting this helpful lesson. The quiz is quite useful. I got 6 right first time through quickly. Interestingly (to me), in every case where I was wrong, I was off by a 5th. Have to work on that. At least I had a chord in the key…..

  26. kenford says

    Hey Brian, this is a terrific lesson! What you said, ‘Sometimes less is more’, really hit home. It’s forcing me (as you said it would) to communicate with less. Sticking with 5 or 6 notes from the pentatonic scale is really challenging and a good basis to expand from. Many thanks!

  27. Michael J says

    G/day Brian,
    I very much appreciate the work you,ve put into this one. Congratulations on a great presentation. By the way, no probs with the quiz. Thanks again from the land Downunder.
    Michael J.

  28. rob540 says

    If there was one album that caused me to look beyond rock and into blues in the 1960’s it was ‘Supersession’ by Mike Bloomfield, Steve Stills and Al Cooper (I think)…this solo has everything that I loved in one track called ‘Albert’s Shuffle’ -without taking the melody, just the ‘feel’…and then you have the different key techniques thing here. Brian – a huge thank you!
    Rob

  31. Mikael J says

    Hey Brian, great lesson!
    With the risk of being Captain Obvious, I thought I could make this into a good excercise for my stubborn ears.
    I put the 12 tracks into a playlist and in my media player I play them randomly and try to figure out the key. When I think I got it I peek at the screen.
    If I get it wrong I try to figure out why I got it wrong. Not just playing the next track right away.

    Micke

  33. orient2k says

    Brian
    I had different online guitar lessons over a period of time. I can honestly say YOU are the best tutor ever. Anyone looking to learn guitar should try it. You will not regret it,I promise.
    Thanks for another amazing lesson!!!!!
    Best wishes

  35. Vic Roberts says

    Great lesson as usual Brian. A slow jam track, similar to The Thrill is Gone, would be nice with the extra chord. Key of Cm: Cm Dm Ab & E7. Key of Ab, down 3 frets, would also be appreciated.
    Do you also play all of the instruments & record the jam tracks yourself ??

    Vic

  38. Art M says

    Having poured over EP130, learning the Major/Minor mix, I found this lesson so much easier to deal with. I was all ready to go and enjoy the sound bites and quickly found the key. Having learned how to hear the Major tone vs the minor tone and then knowing that you can only use the major with the major key also was invaluable. I am having such a blast Brian learning from you each week. Best investment I did joining the Premium Membership plan and have been encouraging friends to do the same. YOU ARE DA MAN!!!

  39. Stobes says

    Hi Brian,
    I printed the score and tried to write all the names of the notes over it. The reason being to try and work out how to think about what to play as the chords change. I.E when going to the A, would you think hammer on from a G to the A note? Or slide/bend? IF you could do a lesson on this it would be fantastic for thinking about improving improvising!

  40. Tom H says

    Great lesson!!! Next you should do this type of lesson or an abbreviated one where you use the major or minor pentatonic scales to find the key. For me, once I
    learned the five scale patterns, knowing they are completely moveable up and down the fret board, I use these to find what key the song is in. Thanks for the many jam tracks as these are always a bonus to improving my skills and guitar knowledge.

    • Tom H says

      Going through the jam track quiz I found a fault with my method as opposed to using Brian’s.
      The relative minor pentatonic scale also fits the ear quite well but that is NOT the key being
      played, although this works for a lead also, it has a happier major rather than minor tone.
      Needless to say, I only got 9 out of 12 correct with my method, and some were confusing
      for me to figure out. I even used both methods, which cleared up a couple keys.

  41. rjl says

    This turned out to be unexpectedly useful for me. It was the solo section that resonated. Using five/six notes for this amazing solo struck home. Thank you so much Brian for explaining what you are doing. You are a great teacher!!

  44. guitarmanny says

    Hi Brian, But first my Log in is not guitarchamp, so that said, please let me know how to change it. Anyway this lesson #160 this is what I’m talking about great step by step I’ve always wanted to know this lick and now I have, Keep making video’s like this in the near future and thank’s alot. And one last thing I also like lesson #130 great job great lesson thank’s again.

  46. Sal says

    Brian,I get confused when you say A major is the key you are playing in,then say pattern one is the starting point,then show Am as pattern one,What am I missing here…….Sal

  47. jazzenstock says

    Hi Brian,

    This lesson should be watched (and learned) by a lot of music teacher….It’s an another way to teach and learn guitar. Great !
    It’s a basic idea : Ask the students to open their ears ! Finally it’s the best and it’s works !
    Many thanks Brian and keep going in that way
    All the best
    Michel

  49. Jim H says

    I am finding all the lessons to be helpful although most are above my current ability. In several of the lessons you make reference to the five basic scale positions which are demonstrated in your blues lead course. I am unable to find that section. Please provide the lesson number(s) wherein these basic positions are to be found.
    Thanks for your help.
    Jim

  52. Randy H says

    Brian:
    Sometimes it’s nice to go back and take a second look. The six (6) note method caught my eye and you explained it so well a MAJOR light bulb came on. Also the section for finding a key was extremely good with the QUIZ that really made it a good exercise for my ears. I only missed 3, but have to go back and try it again. Great Idea.
    Thanks for the great lessons and practical approach at the theory stuff. Would like to hear more on the Universal Audio OX Box.
    Thanks,
    Randy

  54. David K says

    Hi Brian,

    In EP 160 lesson, you play in A Major key. I can see you playing the 6 notes in A Minor pentatonic and it sounds good. Please confirm that we can use Major and Minor pentatonic interchangeably.

    Thanks,
    David

  56. terry b says

    This lesson really helped me. I did the test and got 10 out of 12. I was happy with that. Now I learned how to play the lead. Now Im working out the chords for all the keys. Its all new to me. and playing the lead in all other keys. A great lesson. I will be staying on this for a bit. Thank you Brian

  57. Simon brewer says

    Having just signed up am straight into Brian’s theory course and love the way he has created links to other lessons like this one to cement the theory into practice. As an older guy, who’s only recently returned to the guitar (being a long time drummer) I have found in less than 24hrs that am astonished at how much I’ve learnt..already.

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