In music, how do you know what key you are playing in?

Question

What does it mean when someone is playing music together and they go to start the song and someone asks, "what key is this going to be in?"

I'm pretty sure it relates to changing up a step or half a step. Because at times I'll go look up a song by the Beatles for example, and it sounds right when I play it myself. But when I play along with the song, it sounds way off.
I'm pretty sure it's because it's in a 'different key', but my questions if how do I know what key i'm in? If someones asks, "why key are playing that in?", how do I answer that?

Answer 1

You've answered your own question!
The comments you made are basically correct.

Take a song any song and just sing it.
As you sing note the lowest part of the song.
Restart so as to sing that part LOWER.

Keep changing until you can no longer actually make that lowest note. You have been dropping your KEY. Now go in the other direction until you can't reach the HIGHEST note in the song. You have been lifting your key.

Trained musicians can tune into your key and accompany you within reason. Instruments can scale up and down only in half tones. The human voice can scale infinitely. So you have to match your key to what an instrument can do

Answer 2

Yes, the reason it sounds off with the recording is because you are in a different key. Often times, chord progressions online are transposed into keys that are easier to play (less flats and sharps). Many musicians have the ability to match what they play with what they hear. That is, they can play 'by ear". If you know what notes and what chords you're playing on your instrument and you know a little theory, then you should know what key you're playing in. The key you're in depends on the flats and sharps needed. For example: If I'm playing everything natural except I am playing all of my "b's" as b-flats, then I know I am in the key of F. There is no other way to know this than to memorize it. Memorize what is called the circle of fifths or circle of fourths. They will take you through all of the keys by adding sharps and flats. It looks something like this:

No sharps or flats = Key of C major
1 flat (B) = Key of F major
2 flats (B, E) = Key of B-flat major
3 flats (B, E, A) = Key of E-flat major
4 flats (B, E, A, D) = Key of A-flat major
5 flats (B, E, A, D, G) = key of D-flat major
6 flats (B, E, A, D, G, C) = key of G-flat major
7 flats (B, E, A, D, G, C, F) = key of C-flat major

1 sharp (F) = key of G major
2 sharps (F, C) = key of D major
3 sharps (F, C, G) = key of A major
4 sharps (F, C, G, D) = key of E major
5 sharps (F, C, G, D, A) = key of B major
6 Sharps (F, C, G, D, A, E) = key of F-sharp major
7 Sharps (F, C, G, D, A, E, B) = key of C-sharp major

There are also minor keys where all the rules change because the scales are different. I suggest you find a book onsome basic music theory.

If you're reading sheet music, then you can tell by the key signature located by the time signature and clefs on the left side of the staff.

Hope this information helps!

Answer 3

Ok, this is off the top of my head because it's been so long since I've played music but here it goes...Every key has a certain number of sharps or flats in it. For example, when you play in the key of D maj. there are 2 sharps, F and C or when you play in the key of F maj. there is 1 flat, B. So if you're playing a piece of music and it's in, let's say, the key of D maj. you'll know that every F and C note within that piece of music will be sharp (per my example above). Sorry, but this is all I can remember about this stuff :( Good Luck!!

Answer 4

oh boy....

do you read music? you can tell what key you are in by looking at the key signature next to the clef notation.

if not, it gets more difficult.
lets say you are playing a beatles tune. what note does the melody tend to start and end on? can you play a major scale (assuming the tune is in a major key) starting on that note? THATS what key the song is in.

but its all based on scales. learn to play all your major and minor scales, and changing keys becomes a lot easier. learning to read music is probably the most important thing you can do to help.

Answer 5

Usually it is the first and last note of the song. Sometimes you can't play along with a record if the band tunes to E-flat, for example, Stevie Ray is tuned to e-flat, (it made bending his notes easier), while most guitarists tune to E major. An electronic tuner will allow you to tune your instrument perfectly. I know that's not your question. There are eight notes to an octave. Each note has its own scale. If the song is in A then all your notes will be in the A-scale.

Answer 6

A key will determine if the music is played in minor or major. A key is what notes are being used in the music, it can be described as the centerpoint of the notes that are used.

Answer 7

It has to do with how many sharps or flats in the major scale. If you don't know what that means, it would be wise to study music instead of just expecting an instrument to teach you how to play it.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

You have to learn all your scales and then learn which scale goes to which key, you should probably take some lessons and eventually, whern you are a practiced musician, you will be able to tell. there is no easy way to just know