Finding the key to bracking tracks.
At the risk of sounding really dumb(not the first time)
Has anyone any tips for helping me find the key to a backing track.
Before some smartass says read the book, I havn't got one.
I've been given a number of backing tracks but no help regarding what key they are in.
Aside from my usual technique of bumbling round trying to find a note that sounds ok, are there any tried and tested methods to make my bumbling easier.
If not: Bugger!!
Cheers
R
yeah barre your finger across the b and e string and slide up the frets until it sounds right...then play pentatonic...its a good starting place then add the other 2 notes in for the tonal center.....Originally Posted by rolls1392
barney, do you mean g and b strings?
otherwise i'm struggling to see how playing a fourth that 'fits' particularly helps to narrow down the key?
no the B and E strings....dont know its always worked for me....if you analyse it a bit ..say we slide up to 5th fret top 2 strings you have A and E notes....these could be A root and E 5th...i always tend to think minor so the minor pentatonic usually fits this way....the standard one that everybody knows...after that i see iff the other 2 notes fit B usually does so it leaves F and F# iff the F#fits this puts us in the key of G....iff the F fits the Key of A......the A minor pentatonic will fit either.....
after you have the key center you can start adding the arps of that scale....
the other way is find the chords and see what key all the chords are in...but wouldnt be very quick......probably the best way is have the dots up and just look at the key sig.
I usually start off by just sliding down a note until I find one I like then just start moving up until I find a pattern I recognise (either TTS or TTTS). At that point provided you know all the modal shapes you can play along even if you aren't sure what key it's actually in (eg it could be C major, D dorian, A minor)
The other approach is to move repeating pentatonic riff up in semitones until it locks in (The solo to Rock and Roll is good for these).
If a pentatonic riff sounds horrific and really outside you are likely to be a semitone out in either direction where as if it sounds almost right you might find that that you are out by a scale interval (for example over a blues in A then B minor and E minor pentatonics will sound odd, but not bad because they both only contain notes from A dorian)
Actually that's not a bad way of doing things. It will certainly improve your ear and deter you from applying your favourite licks in a different key for every track.
This is all kind of new to me too, especially as I've started recording my songs which I've only ever had chords for.
I tend to consult chord/key charts, such as the following, to see which fits best.
http://www.guitarbyte.net/wp-content...rds-scales.jpg
One of my songs is Am>G>C>Em. Which according to the chart could be the key of Gmaj, Cmaj, or Em.
My theoretical knowledge doesn't allow me to know which one is correct, but Em is the only one that doesn't make me think "WTF?" when I play over the track.
So, that may be another approach for you to consider.
And if anybody can recommend some very light reading on how to understand which key is the correct one, I'd be reasonably grateful.
Cheers
Fender 1997 California Series Strat, Fender CP 50s Strat, Fender 50th Anniversary MIJ '52 Tele, Fender Std Tele (being refinished)
All through a VOX VT20+, stomp boxes = redundant.
Everyone has their own approach, I do the old slide up approach as well to find the key but really, as Barney said best way is first work out what the chord sequence is in the backing track. Because not only will knowing what the chord sequence is give you the key but it will help you play in a melodic way that compliments the chord changes, rather than just staying in key.
The key to a song can be in question as well. I always think of the key of the song as the one chord it always resolves to ...... such as G major for Sweet Home Alabama despite it starting on a D major but there's other schools of thought in regard to this
Even if you don't work out the whole chord sequence try to pick out the one dominment chord that everything comes back to or lands on ...that's the key
Thank you all for your help.
Have started using a bass to help me aswell.
Good fun this guitar thing!!!
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