Does anyone have an easy way to find keys?

I have the Solo DVD up at the store, it looked like every progression you played the last chord to be played was they key of the song. Is this true for everything or is there a set method?

So say a progression was Am F C would C be the key or?

xD I'm a beginner in the mechanics of music, never had any classes prior to picking up the uke so I'm new to the fancy mumbo jumbo.

Most likely, C would be the key, but not because C is the last chord. Because you have the root, the 4th and the relative minor of C.

Read Howlin Hobbit's Cheater Theory for more info...

Here's a handy chart I found in a simple web search. As you can see, the C, F and Am could indicate a key of C, or F, or Am, or Dm.

There are a few pieces of music theory that are very useful.
Knowing what the I,IV,V chords are, can open up the door for you to learn new songs, play along with others and/or cd's.
If you don't learn any other theory, learn what chords are in what keys.

so, captain love handles, could i take a song where the first chord (if i only have the chords) is c, is that the key, and i could use your chart to make the chords easier by transposing them??
just wondering as i did that when i first started playing guitar years ago. :smile:

Under most curcumstances - yes.

But remember that some songs and progressions don't start with the I chord, or end on the I chord - just "most"... in western music at least (IV, V, I for example). You will get tricked from time to time, but trying the relative IV V chords along the way usually dials it in.

Joyce, it's no guarantee that a song that begins or ends with C is in C, as Grumpy stated. Here's my initial test to see what song a key is in. Listen to the song and run your left hand up and down a string (since I'm used to guitar as well, I use the E string). You'll sort of hear where the root is. It just sounds like it's the main note of the song. Figure out that note and then try the I-IV-V chords. It's a bit unscientific, but it works for me.

To find the key of a song, I thing the easiest way is to listen to which chord feels the most at home. The tonic (the I chord of the key) has a distinct feel to it of being at rest and pau with the song. For example, if they chord progression was Am F C. If you try end the song on the Am or F chord it just doesnt feel like the song is complete. But when you play the progression and end on C, the song sounds like it is over.

The chart posted by Capt Lovehandles looks like a chart that I got at the Denver Uke Fest a few weeks ago as a handout from Moe Dixon. But after I got home and started studying it I became more confused. Moe said that the chart is handy if others who you haven't practiced with (for example) are going to play with you you just say "It's a 1-5-4 in the key of C" and everyone would know the chord progression. At least that is what I took away from it. So, when I look at most of the music I am playing all the songs have G7, C7 or other 7s as chords, and those chords aren't on that chart. So, does anyone have any idea what Moe was trying to tell us?? I admit that I am new to all this, but this just confused me.

Capt. Lovehandles' chart is great but I prefer the Tiki King's Circle o'Fifths transposer wheel available here:http://www.tikiking.com/circle_of_fifths.html I made one to go in the case of every instrument I own.

Dan

Another vote for Tiki King's wheel. I actually printed a few of those a couple of years ago and laminated them.

Bill - the chart above is pretty basic and seems pretty helpful for just strumming along with friends. If the song you're playing calls for a 7th, then you just tell your friends that chord is a 7th. For example, if it's a I, IV, V in the key of C, that would be C, F, G. If the song calls for the V chord to be a 7th (G7), then just tell them that the V chord is a 7th.

If they don't know how to play the 7th chord, you can either teach them or simply play the normal G chord without the 7th. You don't HAVE to play the 7th chord, you can just play a regular chord. It won't sound the same, obviously, but it won't sound "bad" either.

For more help, check out Howlin' Hobbit's cheater theory linked above.

Jason

Look in the ignition, that's where I usually leave mine.