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How To Tell What Key You Are In
When
You Have Flats (b) In The Key Signature!
If you're going to be able to know what chord
progressions are likely in each key, you obviously need
to know how to find the key of a song quickly -- correct?
Here's how to instantly find what key you are
in when there are flats in the key signature of a song:
Did you know that the flats in any key signature always
occur in the same order? Once you know that order, you will
never again wonder, "Which notes are flat in this song?"
They always
occur in this order in any key signature:
B - E - A - D - G - C - F
 Notice
that the first four flats spell the word "BEAD."
You can remember the last 3 flats by making up some silly
saying such as "Go Catch Fish" or any
similar phrase that grabs your fancy.
So
if there is one flat in the key signature, what is it?
If
there are two flats in the key signature, they are what?
How
about 5 flats?
You
got it. That's all there is to it.
To
find what key you're in, just take the next to the last
flat and that IS the key. For example, if you have 4 flats,
they would be Bb Eb Ab Db. The next to the last flat is
A, so you're in the key of Ab.
If
you have 2 flats, they are Bb and Eb, so the next to the
last flat is Bb-- therefore the key is Bb.
If you have 3 flats, they are Bb, Eb and Ab. Since Eb is
the second to the last flat, the key is Eb.
If
there is only 1 flat in the key signature, it would of course
be Bb, and you'll just have to memorize that it is the key
of F.
And
you no doubt already know that if you have no flats or sharps
in the key signature, you are in the key of C major (or
A minor -- but we'll take that option up later).
Get
this down cold -- so you immediately know what key
you're in when you have flats in the key signature of a
song. Why? Because once you know what key you are
in, you also know which 3 chords are the most likely
-- right?
Next week we'll do
the same thing with sharp keys, so you can know immediately
what the key is and therefore what the 3 most likely chords
are!
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