Songs in Minor Keys

[DontplayIdidit]

Hello all.
I've read a bunch of threads about guitar theory, and keys of songs, etc...all that info has been very helpful. I know that for the most part, popular songs are in major keys...so I'm getting better at figuring those keys out.

I'm learning some Grateful Dead songs...and they change things up a lot. The verse chords in Touch of Grey are E A B and F#. These chords don't seem to fit into any major key. I've been trying to research this, and I know that there are several different minor keys: Natural, Harmonic, Melodic...blablabla...

I'm going to stop sounding not smart now...my question is general, but might be involved. If a song isn't written in a major key, how the heck do you figure out the key(if it's minor or whatever) and what scales can I use to solo???

My question can't make any sense............

[Macht]

I'm a douche, didn'tsee the minor scale thingy
.... G maj scaley friend

ok basically

FCGDAEB

Fat Cats Get Down And Even Boogy

that how I remember it. Now say you wanted to make a key in. oh say G, you say to yourself, ok which letter comes before the G in alphabet, that would F so F would be # and everything before that. Since nothing is before F, just F is sharped. This will work for all non flat/sharp scales except C, C has no sharps at all.

now for flats

BEADGCF

Bead Greatest Common Factor

this one is easier.

say you wanted Eb you wpould look oin the scale, see which comes after on the line and you flat that and all the ones before that so Eb will be Bb, Eb, Ab. Simple as that

also you can easily do it on the guitar.

Whole Step=two frets, Half step= one fret

find whatever not you want your key

then WS WS HS WS WS WS HS

hope that helped

[everydayDMBfan_18]

Fat Cats Get Down And Even Boogy

I've never heard that before that's awesome

[Macht]

oh shit, i did maj scales there... ignore my idiocy i didn't see the minor scale

[Pickles]

a minor scale is just a major scale in a different mode...

the Cmaj scale (or C Ionian) is the same as the Am Scale (or A Aeolian, or C's relative minor)

CDEFGAB

ABCDEFG

same thing, different order.

[Matty Boom]

wait till josh sees this!:)

[Macht]

wait till josh sees this!:)

already did

[Sciaracastro]

A minor scale is the same of the major, but starting from the 6th (of the major)...
For example: a A min scale is the same of the C maj (starting from A)

I'm a douche, didn'tsee the minor scale thingy
.... G maj scaley friend

ok basically

FCGDAEB

Fat Cats Get Down And Even Boogy

that how I remember it. Now say you wanted to make a key in. oh say G, you say to yourself, ok which letter comes before the G in alphabet, that would F so F would be # and everything before that. Since nothing is before F, just F is sharped. This will work for all non flat/sharp scales except C, C has no sharps at all.

now for flats

BEADGCF

Bead Greatest Common Factor

this one is easier.

say you wanted Eb you wpould look oin the scale, see which comes after on the line and you flat that and all the ones before that so Eb will be Bb, Eb, Ab. Simple as that

also you can easily do it on the guitar.

Whole Step=two frets, Half step= one fret

find whatever not you want your key

then WS WS HS WS WS WS HS

hope that helped

The same for me!!

[DontplayIdidit]

I should have been more specific…sorry…I understand that the C major is basically the same as the A minor pentatonic…A major is basically the same as the F# minor pentatonic, etc.

If you look at the chords of the song I posted…they are E A B F#
No minors in there at all…so, I’m wondering what key this song would be in…and how I would figure it out. I don’t think it’s in a normal major key(thus, I don’t think it falls under any normal minor pentatonic). I could be waaaay wrong though...

Sorry if I’m being confusing. I get what all of you said about figuring out major keys…also I understand walking down three frets to find the minor equivalent. I guess in a nutshell, I’d like to know what key these chords fall into(E A B F#) and why…

Thanks again everyone!

[Macht]

It's in G major

[Pickles]

when stuff isnt diatonic you just kinda see which key it fits best in.

[MWR]

It's in G major

Not one of those chords is diatonic to G major my friend.

I'm pretty sure this is in B major. B, E, and F# are the I, IV, V chords in B. The only chord that isn't diatonic to B is the A and there's an explanation for this. A# diminished would be the normal diatonic VII chord in B but diminished chords are dissonant and not used very often in populare music. So a common solution is to flatten the VII chord (A#) and make it major. So the verse progression is simply IV-bVII-I-V.
It could also be in E with the II(F#) major instead of minor. The only way to really know is to listen and hear which chord feels like "home". Based only on the verse I would be willing to bet that its in B.

[DMBFan63]

It's in G major

Not one of those chords is diatonic to G major my friend.

I'm pretty sure this is in B major. B, E, and F# are the I, IV, V chords in B. The only chord that isn't diatonic to B is the A and there's an explanation for this. A# diminished would be the normal diatonic VII chord in B but diminished chords are dissonant and not used very often in populare music. So a common solution is to flatten the VII chord (A#) and make it major. So the verse progression is simply IV-bVII-I-V.
It could also be in E with the II(F#) major instead of minor. The only way to really know is to listen and hear which chord feels like "home". Based only on the verse I would be willing to bet that its in B.

aaaaaaaaannnnnnndddd





confused.

I know keys.. but when i start seeing jargan i don't understand, i just back away from the thread

[Macht]

after, of course, posting

[everydayDMBfan_18]

What don't you get? The roman numeral stuff?