How to work out which key you're in

There is no set way to determine what key you're in. Rather, there are many different ways and means of technology to help you along the way. There are some people out there that have what is known as "perfect pitch," meaning they can identify a specific note instantly. However, most of us are not so gifted.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

1. In terms of knowing where you are key-wise, all songs center around a particular key, at least in popular music. The tonic is the root note of that key, meaning the note that is most prevalent and the note that the song is literally based on.

2. In many pop or rock songs, it will be the chord the song begins on, establishing the key right away. This is typically how to find the key of a song you may be playing.

3. As you learn more, you will learn about chord progressions and functions, and will be able to tell the key of a song based on the relationship of the chords you're playing within the song.

4. If you are reading music, you can tell which key you are in based on the key signature at the beginning of the piece. This is usually learned in basic music theory. This particular article will not dive into music theory, however there are many great resources that can be found simply by entering the subject into Google.

5. If you need to, do not be afraid to use a tuner or a pitch-pipe to help. Remember, it takes years to train ones' ears.