Theory help........kinda

[phatnev]

Im playing a song with the chords: Fmaj7, G, Am, Em, & Cmaj7

Now my question is, I'd like to impress my teacher so what are some good scales to use to form a solo for this song? What key is it in? Anyone wanna help me out and write a short riff?

[PlayLikeDave]

Im playing a song with the chords: Fmaj7, G, Am, Em, & Cmaj7

Now my question is, I'd like to impress my teacher so what are some good scales to use to form a solo for this song? What key is it in? Anyone wanna help me out and write a short riff?

WARNING!! Do not take this seriously, this is just a guess -

I am thinking that it is the Key of C. C's relative minor is Am.

I find that it is strange you would begin with the Fmaj7, but I suck with music theory (this is all assuming that it is in the key of C). I would have guessed that it is the key of F, but the G should be Gm, and the E an Edim. Maybe someone like fatjack can verify that for us. But anyhoo, this is just my feeble attempt at displaying some type of musical knowledge

peace

[grock]

Im playing a song with the chords: Fmaj7, G, Am, Em, & Cmaj7

Now my question is, I'd like to impress my teacher so what are some good scales to use to form a solo for this song? What key is it in? Anyone wanna help me out and write a short riff?

just going on what chords you are using the notes are

Code: Select all

 F A C E, G B D, A C E, E G B and C E G B

notice anything?!?

Code: Select all

C D E F G A B 

no sharps or flats in there.

The major key is C. But it looks like it's in a different Mode. I'd pick F lydian.

now i get fuzzy on modes but i'd say if you stick around the note F and stay in the key of C that'll be good.

[phatnev]

Thanky

[PlayLikeDave]

The mode is F Lydian as what Grock suggested. If you have any questions about scales and modes I suggest this website:

http://www.guitarists.net/scales/index.php

It can be really handy.

peace

[grock]

For what it's worth, i wrote a quick little thing here at work. hopefully it will be in key and stuff. i wrote it in standard music notation then realized tab would probably be best.

it'll get you started.

i just took a guess at the rhythm.

Code: Select all

    Fmaj7              G
|   E  E E E E  E Q     E E E E  E  Q.
||--/-10-8-7------8--|-10-8-7------10~~~-|
||-----------8-10----|--------8-10-------|
||-------------------|-------------------|
||-------------------|-------------------|
||-------------------|-------------------|
||-------------------|-------------------|

  Am                        Em          Cmaj7
|  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E    E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E    4x
|-13-12-15-------13-------|----------------12-13-15----||
|----------13-15----------|-------------13-------13----||
|-------------------14-10-|-12-14----14----------------||
|-------------------------|-------14-------------------||
|-------------------------|----------------------------||
|-------------------------|----------------------------||

[fatjack]

Im playing a song with the chords: Fmaj7, G, Am, Em, & Cmaj7

Now my question is, I'd like to impress my teacher so what are some good scales to use to form a solo for this song? What key is it in? Anyone wanna help me out and write a short riff?

just going on what chords you are using the notes are

Code: Select all

 F A C E, G B D, A C E, E G B and C E G B

notice anything?!?

Code: Select all

C D E F G A B 

no sharps or flats in there.

The major key is C. But it looks like it's in a different Mode. I'd pick F lydian.

now i get fuzzy on modes but i'd say if you stick around the note F and stay in the key of C that'll be good.

guess what grock? F lydian is the same thing as C major ::gasp::

you are in the key of C, so basically just dont play any sharps or flats, unless you wanna get freaky with some melodic or harmonic shit

[fatjack]

Im playing a song with the chords: Fmaj7, G, Am, Em, & Cmaj7

Now my question is, I'd like to impress my teacher so what are some good scales to use to form a solo for this song? What key is it in? Anyone wanna help me out and write a short riff?

WARNING!! Do not take this seriously, this is just a guess -

I am thinking that it is the Key of C. C's relative minor is Am.

I find that it is strange you would begin with the Fmaj7, but I suck with music theory (this is all assuming that it is in the key of C). I would have guessed that it is the key of F, but the G should be Gm, and the E an Edim. Maybe someone like fatjack can verify that for us. But anyhoo, this is just my feeble attempt at displaying some type of musical knowledge

peace

its in C and this is why:

in the key of F, any G chord would be minor; the Em would be an Edim (like you said); and the C chord would be a dominant 7th, not a major 7th.

its in the key of C because all those chords are diatonic to the key of C

[phatnev]

Thanks all of ya

[grock]

Im playing a song with the chords: Fmaj7, G, Am, Em, & Cmaj7

Now my question is, I'd like to impress my teacher so what are some good scales to use to form a solo for this song? What key is it in? Anyone wanna help me out and write a short riff?

just going on what chords you are using the notes are

Code: Select all

 F A C E, G B D, A C E, E G B and C E G B

notice anything?!?

Code: Select all

C D E F G A B 

no sharps or flats in there.

The major key is C. But it looks like it's in a different Mode. I'd pick F lydian.

now i get fuzzy on modes but i'd say if you stick around the note F and stay in the key of C that'll be good.

guess what grock? F lydian is the same thing as C major ::gasp::

you are in the key of C, so basically just dont play any sharps or flats, unless you wanna get freaky with some melodic or harmonic shit

oh fatjack, come on now! we both know that i know F Lydian is the same as C major. keys are different than modes. I was trying to show that just because a song is in a specific key doesn't mean that that key is specific to the Ionian, ie major, mode.

modes are really cool. For example, D Dorian mode sounds like the band is playing in "D" but you're doing the melody in "C" instead. that's what i was trying to convey.

And alway remember: Grock 's Fatjack! you da man!

[gravedigger]

it's quite obvious it's in C . first of all the IV chord of Cmaj7 is Fmaj7, and the V chord of C is G. the iii chord of C is Em and the vi chord or C is Am (relative minor) then again I have no idea what the different modes are or what they mean. I just keep it simple.

[fatjack]

I was trying to show that just because a song is in a specific key doesn't mean that that key is specific to the Ionian, ie major, mode.

actually, if the song is in a certain key, its the same thing as the Ionian of that note. it can be in another mode starting on the same note. you could technically play a Cmixolydian over a song that is in the key of C, but you just have to watch out for that accidental

[PlayLikeDave]

its in C and this is why:

in the key of F, any G chord would be minor; the Em would be an Edim (like you said); and the C chord would be a dominant 7th, not a major 7th.

its in the key of C because all those chords are diatonic to the key of C

You just said diatonic...that rocks cuz I have no clue how it relates to this...

peace