Can You Name the Key of this Piece of Music? - Music Theory
TLDRThis educational video script explores the process of determining the key of a melody without a key signature, using a melody with flats as an example. The narrator guides viewers through identifying flats in the melody and correlates them with their positions in the circle of fifths to speculate the key. Initially suggesting A-flat major due to the presence of B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, and D-flat, the absence of G-flats leads to a deeper investigation, ultimately revealing the melody is in D-flat major. The video emphasizes the importance of theoretical knowledge and auditory skills in music theory, offering a practical exercise in identifying a piece's key through detective work and aural analysis.
Takeaways
- 😀 Identifying the key just from the accidentals requires analyzing the order of flats/sharps and seeing if the next one applies.
- 😟 Even if the next accidental doesn't appear, its corresponding note may be absent, requiring further analysis.
- 🤔 Context clues like prominent notes (e.g. many D flats) and chord spellings can help identify the tonic.
- 😊 Listen to the melody to hear how certain notes feel stabilized or resolved - the tonic.
- 🎶 Singing/hearing the melody internally develops crucial musical skills.
- 😐 The starting note may not be the tonic - could be dominant or other scale degree.
- 🎹 Adding chords under a melody clarifies its harmonic direction.
- 📝 Music theory exams often contain abstract exercises like this to test analysis skills.
- 🔍 Detectiving work is needed if accidentals seem to imply one key, but other factors suggest another.
- 😉 Ending note may not resolve properly if just an excerpt, not necessarily ending on tonic.
Q & A
What is the first step in figuring out the key of a melody that does not have a key signature?
-The first step is to look at the accidentals used in the melody. If they are all flats or all sharps, it is likely a major key. A mixture indicates a minor key.
How can you tell if a melody with only flats is likely in a major or minor key?
-If the melody only uses flats and no sharps, it is likely in a major key rather than minor.
What is the next step after determining the melody only uses flats?
-The next step is to look at the flats in the order they appear in the melody and compare to the order of flats in the circle of fifths. This will help determine the key.
Why can you not definitively determine the key just based on the flats present?
-The next flat after those present may be missing from the excerpt but still needed to establish the full key signature.
What do you do if the next flat in the order is not present in the melody?
-You have to consider whether that note would be natural or flattened if it appeared. This requires some musical detective work.
What are some clues that this melody is actually in D-flat major?
-The prevalence of D-flats, the opening tonic chord spelling D-flat major, and the melody's movement to and from D-flat as a homing note.
Why doesn't ending on an E-flat rule out D-flat major?
-The E-flat belongs to the dominant chord in D-flat major, so could be part of an imperfect cadence.
What is one way to develop your musical ear when analyzing melodies?
-Looking at the notes on the page and singing or hearing them mentally develops your musical imagination and interval recognition.
What chord tones help establish a sense of home or tonic?
-Chord tones like the root, third, and fifth of the tonic triad help the ear recognize the tonic and key center.
How could adding chords under the melody help determine the key?
-Chords help support the melody notes and make the tonic and key relationships even more clear.
Outlines
😀 Introduction to the melody identification task
The first paragraph introduces a melody written out on a board, and poses the task of identifying the key that the melody is in. It suggests pausing to think through the melody and figure out the key before continuing.
😉 Analyzing the flats to deduce the key
The second paragraph analyzes the flats present in the melody (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db) and logically concludes the key must be Ab major. However, it highlights that the absence of any G notes is suspicious, and hints that if G was present, it would likely be Gb, indicating a key of Db major.
😃 Confirming Db major as the correct key
The third paragraph provides reasoning for why the key is Db major rather than Ab major. It points to the prevalence of Db notes, the Db major tonic chord at the beginning, and the melodic motion towards Db as evidence. It acknowledges the unusual Eb ending note, but explains it could belong to a dominant chord in Db major.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Melody
💡Key
💡Scale degree
💡Accidentals
💡Harmonic analysis
💡Cadence
💡Circle of fifths
💡Sight reading
💡Tonic
💡Dominant
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Transcripts
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