how to listen and identify key, chords?

[findingflow]

I've come to the guitar late in life - really love it. Looking for tips on listening and playing, i.e. how to identify the key and important chords in a piece of (jazz, blues, classic rock, or folk) music. "Just doing it" has been slow going thus far.

 

Appreciate your suggestions - thanks.

[Big Red 67]

Play a note. if it ain't right keep movin' till you find it. Then find the notes that go with it!

 

Welcome to the forum!

[King Kamehameha]

I think you just about said it.

 

I just had a practice session where I put in a disc of Joe Satriani and figured out the basslines, not pressing pause. That'll teach you to jump into a jam. I just first find a note or chord that I can play for a long time that fits into the song, then I build off it and figure out what notes and chords go around it based on whether the song is based on a major, minor, pentatonic, mixolydian, etc. scale. That I can figure out by doing little fills over whatever scale I think it is. If I'm wrong, it will sound bad. And then I can make it sound right.

[Gruupi]

I know lots of guitarists who are also singers that can find the chords to a song they have never played just by singing and playing and trying out chords. I have to have the record to do this, while they can do it just from memory of hearing the song.

 

As far as tips, its practice just like anything else. 90% of the time the first chord in pop music will establish the key. Its good to listen to the bass line as often that will be simpler harmonicly than what a piano or guitar might be doing.

 

Really what Big Red said holds true. Pick a note or chord and if it doesn't sound right, try something else until it does. Whats nice is that over time you will almost know the key of a song before you even pick up the guitar. You will hear a certain range and voicing and just know that its a first position E chord. Also most pop songs have a few well used progressions that you will just recognize. There are the relative minors to each major key that will be used alot as well. It gets hard when someone uses unconventional voicings and techniques, thats where reading music and tabulature can help, but spend a few years learning songs for cover bands and you will be amazed at how easy it is to learn most songs.

 

What Bass247 says works as well. Find that note you can hang on, that can help establish the key. Some songs can be confusing but eventually you will catch on, if its live playing, just lean over and ask "what the heck key are we in?" You will pretty easily start to hear the differences between majors, minor, 7ths, ect.

 

I used to play a game with friends where someone would play a chord and you would have to name its type without looking at the player. We would get to the point really quickly where we could instantly recognize major, minor, 7th, major 7th, minor 7th without even having to think about it. It doesn't take all that much more effort to be able to tell even more complicated chords and voicings.

[King Kamehameha]

There is also a chord ear trainer at www.musictheory.net which I am supposed to be using. And honestly, I really will, because it works well.

[fantasticsound]

Mostly it's repetition. There's no substitute for matching chords you know to sounds you hear on a recording.

 

Voicings are, by definition, unique ways to play the same notes in a particular order. Many guitar songs use open voicings (those using open strings and fretted notes in the first, second and third frets.) so you will likely soon recognize use of these chords, even if you're playing an acoustic and the song has a distorted electric. The same is true for so called "power chords", which are really root + fifth chord fragments. Heavy Metal songs use a preponderance of "power chords", the only issue being discovery of the root for each chord. Not really that difficult with a little experience.

 

It will take time before these chords and voicings roll right off the top of your head when you hear a song, but this skill will come eventually.

[caprae]

For extremely little I've done, I always try to pick out the note on the top E or A string. Then I know basically what chord is being played.

[MILLO]

If it's something that's not obvious, I usually start w/ the bass line the guitar OR THE BASS plays, then highest note of each voicing.

[LPCustom]

One thing is VERY important to training your ear and searching for chords and keys. Your instrument MUST be in tune. If it's out even a little it can really throw you. And doing exercises trying to tune your ear with an instrument that is out of tune actually makes things worse not better.

 

So get your instrument in tune before you do anything else.

[fantasticsound]

Excellent point, LP.

[MILLO]

Er... I thought I had entered a post after that one. Where did it go?!!!

 

Ok, make sure you determine what the beat and time signature is. Then, for example take four measures and just "fill in the blanks". It's easier when you know WHERE to put the chord changes in terms of time.