Cleveland Guitar & Bass Lessons
  • Home
  • Lessons
    • Testimonials
  • Gift Cards
  • Chord Diagram Books
  • Teaching Blog
  • Contact

What Are Keys?

9/18/2017

Comments

 
guitar keynot exactly what I had in mind!
Before answering said question, I'd like to explain some of the benefits of understanding keys... 

First off, it will provide you a conceptual framework so that you can begin to make sense of music. Also it will make writing, analyzing and figuring out songs/ chord progressions easier. Finally understanding keys will allow you to be more conversant with other musicians.

So, what is a key?

Keys are multi factorial animals, I think a good way to begin thinking about them if you're a beginner or intermediate player is to think of keys as scales, chords and arpeggios that all are built out of the same series of seven notes.

Most interesting songs use notes, scales, chords or arpeggios that are "outside" of the key - this means at least one note used is not present in the major or minor scale that the key is based on but plenty of great songs don't. 

If all the chords in a given song/progression conform to the chords in a given key, that is called a "diatonic" chord progression. Learning the diatonic keys first is very important.

...Up next, major keys...

Comments
Forward>>

    Author

    Eric Hankinson

    Archives

    August 2024
    December 2023
    November 2022
    February 2021
    December 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    October 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017

    Categories

    All
    Alternate Picking
    Bass Strings
    Chords
    Fret
    Intervals
    Interview
    Keeping Time
    Keys
    Melody
    Neck
    Picking
    Recording
    Rhythm
    Scales
    Strap
    Tapping Foot
    Tone
    Tuning

    RSS Feed


The Chromatic Watch Company
(my other business)


Best Guitar Teachers in Cleveland
Buy My
​Chord Diagram Book
Get in
Touch
Best Guitar Lessons
Cleveland Guitar and Bass with Eric Hankinson BBB Business Review
© 2025 Cleveland Guitar & Bass Lessons with Eric Hankinson.
  • Home
  • Lessons
    • Testimonials
  • Gift Cards
  • Chord Diagram Books
  • Teaching Blog
  • Contact