How to Identify Musical Keys - Music Theory

Music Matters

9 Jan 202015:14

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThis quiz tests your ability to identify keys by listening to four melodic excerpts and determining what key they are in. It encourages learning the circle of fifths to become adept at recognizing keys. Tips are provided on clues to look for like accidentals that could indicate minor keys or modulations. The creator sets some traps, like excerpts with no accidentals so the key is ambiguous. The reasoning process for figuring out the keys is explained in detail, both the straightforward cases and trickier ones that require more musical intuition. Doing exercises like this builds confidence with identifying keys.

Takeaways

😀 The video quiz tests your knowledge of musical keys by listening to 4 melodic excerpts.
🎹 Refer to the circle of fifths to identify keys based on their sharps/flats.
♫ Accidentals in a melody may indicate a modulation or minor key.
🎼 Analyze first/last notes, accidentals, and harmonization to deduce the key.
🎵 Beware of traps - lack of accidentals doesn't guarantee a major key.
🎶 Consider all evidence to determine if major or relative minor.
🎧 Getting familiar with all key signatures makes you a better musician.
🎤 An anacrusis starts a melody on a weak beat for a pickup into the next bar.
🎺 The alto clef centers on middle C with the C line pointing to it.
👂 Listen for modulations and harmonize melodies to precisely determine keys.

Q & A

What is the purpose of this quiz?
-The purpose is to test people's knowledge of musical keys by presenting four melodic excerpts and asking them to identify the key.
What is the circle of fifths and how can it help with identifying keys?
-The circle of fifths shows the relationships between musical keys and the number of sharps or flats in each key signature. It's a useful tool for figuring out what key a piece with a particular key signature is likely to be in.
What are some clues that can indicate whether a piece is in a major or minor key?
-Accidentals that raise the 6th or 7th scale degrees may indicate a minor key. Also, ending on the tonic and starting on the tonic chord points to a major key.
What is an anacrusis and how does it apply in the second excerpt?
-An anacrusis is a note or notes that come before the first downbeat. In the second excerpt, the first note falls on the last beat of the bar, making it an anacrusis, so we analyze the key based on what comes after that.
Why is number three tricky to identify the key of?
-We don't see any E's or F's in the melody, so there's no way to tell whether it uses the raised 6th and 7th scale degrees that would indicate G minor rather than Bb major. We have to rely on other evidence.
What is the reasoning that number three is likely in G minor?
-It starts and ends on G, which fits better as the tonic in G minor than as the 6th scale degree in Bb major. Also, you can harmonize it with G minor chords in a convincing way.
What is an option for the key of number four?
-It could be modulated from D major to B minor. Or, it's possible to analyze the entire excerpt as being in B minor, based on the A# leading tone and final B.
What do raised 6th and 7th scale degrees indicate about a key?
-They often occur in minor keys due to the harmonic and melodic minor scale variations, so their presence suggests a minor key.
What should you do if you see accidentals beyond the key signature?
-Consider the possibility of modulation or chromatic non-chord tones, but also look at the accidentals to see if they match up with standard scale degrees for the key.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introducing the quiz on identifying keys

The first paragraph introduces the key identification quiz, noting it includes 4 melodic excerpts to analyze. It recommends reviewing the circle of fifths to understand key signatures. It also advises pausing the quiz to study keys if needed before proceeding.

05:00

😟 Considering the challenges of determining major vs minor keys

The second paragraph explores the difficulties in distinguishing between major and minor keys with the same key signature. It notes accidentals may indicate modulations or chromatic notes rather than a minor key. It explains how raised 6th and 7th degrees often signify a minor key.

10:00

😎 Tips for feeling comfortable with more complex key signatures

The third paragraph encourages musicians to practice all key signatures to gain fluency. It suggests improvising in each key and working methodically outward on the circle of fifths to expand one's comfort zone.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡keys

The main theme of the video is identifying musical keys. Keys refer to the scale and chords that a piece of music is built on, such as the key of C major or A minor. The video talks a lot about using accidentals and the circle of fifths to determine if a melody is in a major or minor key.

💡circle of fifths

The circle of fifths is a diagram showing the relationships between musical keys. It's a critical tool for understanding key signatures. The video says the circle of fifths will be the 'lifeline' for figuring out how many sharps or flats are in each key, whether it's major or minor, and what accidentals to expect.

💡accidentals

Accidentals are notes that are not normally found in the key signature, such as an F# when there are no sharps. Accidentals can provide clues that the music has modulated or is in a minor key, which alters certain scale degrees.

💡modulation

Modulation refers to changing from one musical key to another within a piece. The presence of unexpected accidentals may signify a modulation rather than indicating a major versus minor key.

💡minor key

Minor keys feature altered scale degrees, such as a raised 7th note. Accidentals raising the 6th or 7th scale degrees provide evidence a melody may be in a minor key rather than the parallel major.

💡cadence

A cadence is a harmonic progression that gives a sense of closure, such as V to I (dominant to tonic). Analyzing the cadences and final chord can help determine whether a melody sounds resolved in a major or minor key.

💡chromatic

Chromatic notes add color outside the key but don't clearly establish a change of key. So the presence of accidentals does not definitively indicate major versus minor.

💡harmonic analysis

One strategy for identifying the key is imagining or working out the chords that fit with the melody, known as harmonic analysis. Certain chord progressions suggest major while others fit a minor key.

💡musical clues

Apart from accidentals and chords, other musical clues analyzed include the opening and closing notes, melodic intervals, cadences, and whether melody notes fit with major or minor scale degrees.

💡musical detective

Figuring out the key a melody is in requires being a musical detective - gathering clues, making deductions from incomplete information, developing theories and testing them against the evidence.

Highlights

Use the circle of fifths to determine keys based on sharps and flats

Accidentals beyond the key signature may indicate a minor key or modulation

Raised sixths and sevenths often indicate a minor key

Start and end notes on the tonic suggest the key

Perfect and plagal cadences also indicate the key

Anacrusis at the start may obscure the tonic note

Lack of accidentals doesn't guarantee a major key

Implied harmonies can point to minor keys

Develop fluency in all key signatures, not just easy ones

A raised seventh degree strongly suggests a minor key

Start and end on tonic notes reinforce the key

Possible to harmonize fully in the minor key

Modulation from major to relative minor is also an option

Look for multiple confirming evidence points

Practice musical detective work to determine keys

Transcripts

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