Can someone tell me the keys these songs are in?

One More Solo · 5 Jul 2006 at 16:13

I haven't a clue about musical theory, so if someone could tell me the key of Scar Tissue by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Dancing in the Moonlight by Thin Lizzy I would be very grateful. Cheers.

My basic knowledge suggests Scar Tissue is Am? Dancing in the Moonlight I think might be E?

Malc · 5 Jul 2006 at 16:18

scar tissue is in C

EDIT: C and Am contain the same notes so I'm not too sure how to differentiate between the two. I think its something to do with the root note. :confused:

sinister_stu · 5 Jul 2006 at 16:45

Malc said:
scar tissue is in C

EDIT: C and Am contain the same notes so I'm not too sure how to differentiate between the two. I think its something to do with the root note.

Am is the relative Minor to C Major so you have to look at other things in the music.

Andelusion · 5 Jul 2006 at 17:02

I think Dancing In The Moonlight's in Bm.

Chronos-X · 5 Jul 2006 at 17:09

Malc said:
scar tissue is in C

EDIT: C and Am contain the same notes so I'm not too sure how to differentiate between the two. I think its something to do with the root note.

You can't. Basically the chord you start on defines it to a large extent but thats about it - they are interchangeable.

If you need to know what key a song is in, by and large it'll be the first and/or last chord of the song, failing that any chord that seems to put a "full stop" on the music when played and doesn't leave it hanging in the air.

SidewinderINC · 5 Jul 2006 at 17:41

as opposed to my singing, which is always in the key of john major

i really should learn some theory, it would probably help with improvisation.

Vixen · 5 Jul 2006 at 17:44

Chronos-X said:
You can't. Basically the chord you start on defines it to a large extent but thats about it - they are interchangeable.

That's not true at all. It's relatively easy to determine whether something is in a major or minor key just by the "feel" of the music. I would say Scar Tissue is minor, although I've not heard it for years, that's just my vague memories of the song.

Andelusion · 5 Jul 2006 at 17:54

To find out whether a song is in the relative major or minor key (in our scar tissue case: CMajor or Aminor) you can look at the chord progression.

If the song keeps returning back to CMajor then it'll be in CMajor, that's the 'tonic' or 'root' note, and also the tonic or root chord, so it will have an established Major tonality. The same applies for the minor key, if a verse for example begins and/or ends with the Aminor chord then chances are it's in the relative minor.

(dodgy quick explanation

)

cleanbluesky · 5 Jul 2006 at 18:16

Vixen said:
That's not true at all. It's relatively easy to determine whether something is in a major or minor key just by the "feel" of the music. I would say Scar Tissue is minor, although I've not heard it for years, that's just my vague memories of the song.

That's an incredibly important point, minor and major can be differentiated by the way they are used... but the 'full stop' chord is very important, becasue if we wanted to split hairs here, the greek (mixylodian, phygrian etc...) scales also provide another 6 variations on each major scale...

Andelusion · 5 Jul 2006 at 19:48

cleanbluesky said:
That's an incredibly important point, minor and major can be differentiated by the way they are used... but the 'full stop' chord is very important, becasue if we wanted to split hairs here, the greek (mixylodian, phygrian etc...) scales also provide another 6 variations on each major scale...

And then another 7 variations from the modes of the harmonic minor scale..

/pedant

sjt269 · 5 Jul 2006 at 19:56

cleanbluesky said:
That's an incredibly important point, minor and major can be differentiated by the way they are used... but the 'full stop' chord is very important, becasue if we wanted to split hairs here, the greek (mixylodian, phygrian etc...) scales also provide another 6 variations on each major scale...

Andelusion said:
And then another 7 variations from the modes of the harmonic minor scale..

/pedant

Anyone else feeling slightly humiliated by their total lack of theory knowledge?

penski · 5 Jul 2006 at 19:59

They're both in "Drop-D-And-Wing-It-With-Barre-Chords".

*b

arty · 5 Jul 2006 at 20:16

tTz said:
Anyone else feeling slightly humiliated by their total lack of theory knowledge?

Nope

I'd personally think of Scar Tissue as F major, but it's really just your average Aeolian on D. Dancin' in the Moonlight is pretty much E minor.

Tonality is a pretty interesting topic in Western music. At uni I wrote a dissertation on the 'new' diatonicism of two of the late Prokofiev piano sonatas, where (I believe) the tritone and the semitone become the new relative and circle of 'fifths' intervals. I got lost for about six months in the hugest Schenkerian diagrams you can imagine

</geek>

arty

Beansprout · 5 Jul 2006 at 20:19

arty said:
Nope

I'd personally think of Scar Tissue as F major, but it's really just your average Aeolian on D. Dancin' in the Moonlight is pretty much E minor.

Tonality is a pretty interesting topic in Western music. At uni I wrote a dissertation on the 'new' diatonicism of two of the late Prokofiev piano sonatas, where (I believe) the tritone and the semitone become the new relative and circle of 'fifths' intervals. I got lost for about six months in the hugest Schenkerian diagrams you can imagine

</geek>

arty

Now write that in English :cool:

C#m for the win, always. F major for the lose, always

sjt269 · 5 Jul 2006 at 20:27

arty said:
Nope

I'd personally think of Scar Tissue as F major, but it's really just your average Aeolian on D. Dancin' in the Moonlight is pretty much E minor.

Tonality is a pretty interesting topic in Western music. At uni I wrote a dissertation on the 'new' diatonicism of two of the late Prokofiev piano sonatas, where (I believe) the tritone and the semitone become the new relative and circle of 'fifths' intervals. I got lost for about six months in the hugest Schenkerian diagrams you can imagine

</geek>

arty

I was previously feeling slightly humiliated. Now I'm full blown depressed.

arty · 5 Jul 2006 at 20:39

tTz said:
I was previously feeling slightly humiliated. Now I'm full blown depressed.

Heh, I was only showing off. Theoretical knowledge is all very well and good, but ultimately it's just fancy terminology. Some of the most brilliant musicians I know of have been entirely self-taught, but their understanding of the underlying processes that make music work (or not) far exceeds mine

arty

Chronos-X · 5 Jul 2006 at 20:40

Don't worry - theres been many instances where little orthodox theory has produced great results. I personally think that too much knowledge can be dangerous (and limiting) - as can too little. Learn the rules, then break them.

Chronos-X · 5 Jul 2006 at 21:19

Just tried it on guitar - it sounds like an ambiguous F major / D minor split - the Chilis also did this in By the Way - check out the ringing Dm on the end. Nothing wrong with that, and a perfect example of how to keep the listener interested without atonal rubbish.

Vixen · 5 Jul 2006 at 21:40

cleanbluesky said:
That's an incredibly important point, minor and major can be differentiated by the way they are used... but the 'full stop' chord is very important, becasue if we wanted to split hairs here, the greek (mixylodian, phygrian etc...) scales also provide another 6 variations on each major scale...

Bearing in mind this is your average "rock" band, it will be very basic chords, so my assumptions are pretty fair.