1. hobbies and interests
2. guitar

Musician Transformation Training
“SONG SOLIDITY”
This training will cover key techniques and insights that
will ensure you get the most out of the “Song Station”
program, which covers Song Solidity concepts. Every
strategy you’ve learned so far leads to “song mastery”
and by learning the principles herein, you’ll speed up the
process it takes to pick up any song. From melody and
bass determination to passing chords and key signature
identification, this resource will equip you with the
knowledge to grasp it all!
-Pg 1© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
Introduction
In this guide, we’ll start by discussing techniques and strategies that will help you find
the key of any song quickly. Then we’ll turn to melody and bass pattern determination.
We’ll review diatonic chords (which should be your first option after finding the bass),
and end by covering passing chords and other nuances you’ll find in songs.
Common Problems
1. Not knowing how to find the key of a song: You can know all your scales, the
number system, basic and advanced chords, and even patterns... but if you can’t
find the key of a song quickly, none of that will matter when it comes to playing
by ear. Finding the key is like the battery in your car. You can have the best
engine, the best anti-lock braking system, hundreds of horsepower, and every
amenity under the sun... but if your car won’t start, all that stuff is useless.
Finding the key to a song gives you a reference point to apply all the stuff you’ve
learned to... and that’s what we’ll turn to first in this guide.
2. Not understanding the importance of melodies and how they work with chords:
Without melodies, many songs would sound almost identical because chords and
patterns are recycled over and over in many tunes. Melodies (and rhythm, among
other things) help to differentiate songs. I could play the same 4 chords repeatedly
and by switching the melody, I could turn those same 4 chords into dozens of
-Pg 2© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
songs. That’s how important melodies are. But more importantly is their ability to
point you to the right chords because a harmonizing chord will NEVER clash
with the melody. In other words, the melody note will usually be in the chord
used to harmonize that melody (and knowing this narrows down the chords you’re
going to try). By working on this skill, you’ll cut your song learning curve in half.
3. Not focusing on what the bass player is doing FIRST: Many musicians try to
immediately go for what they hear the piano player doing. This is not a bad idea...
it’s just not the FIRST thing you do. As an ear player, you want to secure in your
mind the “big picture” pattern first. And the only way to know the patterns at
work is to listen to what the bass player is doing because they are carrying the
root notes of each chord. Once you figure out what they are doing, then you can
start applying chords and relying on the melody to get the right inversions and
voicings of the chords.
After completing the Musician Transformation process, these will be problems of the past!
Let’s get to work!
Finding The Key To Any Song
As I said above, developing the skill to find the key of a song is ESSENTIAL.
Everything starts here when it comes to putting all your skills to use.
There are 2 primary ways to do this.
1) Intuitively
2) Analytically
I’ll cover both below.
FI$DI$G THE KEY OF A SO$G I$TUITIVELY
Keep in mind, this method is very intuitive and sensorial but I’ll try my best to describe it
here on paper.
At any given time, there is one note you can press down while listening to a song and it
will feel like “home.”
It will sound like a common tone you can hold down during the entire song. In fact, even
though the song is progressing from chord to chord, pattern to pattern, this ONE tone will
never clash with any of the chords, regardless of what’s going on in the song.
-Pg 3© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
If you had to close your eyes and imagine the very last chord of the song... the chord that
propels the audience to their feet, clapping and cheering (because they know it’s the last
ending chord) --- that’s most likely the key of the song, the common “home base” tone
we’re looking for.
If you’re not good at finding the key of a song, the good news is you can work on it
DAILY while driving in your car --- no piano needed.
Actually, I’ve always recommended humming the key with your own voice before
jumping on the piano to figure out what key it is.
A OTE ABOUT PERFECT PITCH: You don’t need perfect pitch in order to do this.
In fact, only 1 in 10,000 people have perfect pitch. (That’s the ability to hear a tone and
just know what it is without any musical reference like a piano or relative note). I
REPEAT... you do not need this skill. When you’re humming, who cares what note it is.
That’s not important at the moment. What’s important is that you’re humming the TRUE
KEY and that you have it stuck in your head. Then, when you get to the piano, you can
easily hit a few notes until you’ve determined that key you’re humming. Essentially,
you’re matching what’s in your mind (or what you’re humming) to one of the 12 unique
notes on the piano. That’s how 99% of musicians do it.
A FEW TIPS:
•
The key of the song is essentially the first tone of the scale, the tonic. That’s what
we’re looking for. We’re looking for a scale to place this song in so we can work
our magic with the number system, chords, and patterns, etc. Without a reference
point (the “key”), we’re lost.
•
Usually songs begin on the 1-chord and since the 1-chord is the IS THE KEY
WE’RE IN, we can try to figure out the first chord of the song and that may lead
us to the key. (Note: Don’t confuse the term “1-chord” with the first chord of the
song. Those AREN’T THE SAME THING. When I say “1-chord,” I’m talking
about the first chord of any given scale. Now, usually the 1-chord is also the first
chord of the song but not always. Some songs start with a pickup on the “5chord,” which leads to the 1-chord. But as a general rule, the 1-chord will usually
begin the song).
•
Usually songs end on the 1-chord (a.k.a. – the “tonic”). But just like the tip above,
this isn’t always the case. Some songs may end on a major chord off the 6th tone
(very pretty way to end a song). Some songs may end on the 4-chord. But as a
general rule, most will end with a feeling of peace... rest... tension-free... “home.”
And that’s what the 1-chord provides.
•
If you can try to hum any of these chords (the first chord of the song, the last
chord of the song, or any chord that feels like “home,”), then you have a good
chance of finding the “TRUE” key.
-Pg 4© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
•
All songs “wrap” around to the beginning (usually after the end of a verse or
chorus). If you can hum the first chord that’s played when the song returns to the
beginning, that’s probably the key as well.
As you can see, there’s many ways to do this. You can rely totally on “feeling” and just
go for it or you can strategically pinpoint certain chords and moments in a song
(beginning, ending, wrap-arounds, after verses) that are notorious for being the 1-chord,
or the key you’re in.
THE “MI OR CHORD” TRICK – How to confirm you’ve got the right key, when in
doubt.
I take credit for this trick because I’ve never seen anyone else teach it. I got the idea in
the shower one day and it WORKS.
I call it the minor chord trick.
Before I explain it, though, let me tell you why it’s important.
In the beginning, if a musician is wrong about the key, I find there are usually 1 of 2 keys
they are usually humming erroneously. If they are humming anything else other than
these two commonly mistaken tones (which are still WRONG but not “AS” wrong), they
are probably tone deaf.
You gotta be IN THE BALLPARK (at least) for this minor chord trick to work.
When I say “in the ballpark,” that means your guesses were good but not quite the REAL
key of the song.
I find people are usually humming the 3rd of the key... or the 5th of the key.
And this makes perfect sense, if you think about the 1-chord.
Let’s say the REAL key was C major.
And as we learned above, there are certain chords that can point us in the right direction,
namely the first or last chord of the song... or any moment where the song seems to wrap
back around to the beginning.
Since the song is in C major, that chord would be some type of “C major” chord. Easy so
far right?
Well, here’s the problem:
-Pg 5© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
Instead of humming the keynote “C,” some first-timers skew towards “E” (the 3rd tone of
C major) or “G” (the 5th tone of C major).
And the funny thing is, these tones will really fool ya.
Heck, they may feel like they work since they are in the C major chord. In fact, if you’re
used to singing in a choir, you probably sing these notes, depending on whether you’re a
soprano, alto, or tenor.
The key is to find the “REAL” tonic... the real key center. (Oh, these are just fancy ways
to say “the key of da song!”)
So, to make sure you have the absolute correct tone, we employ this “MINOR CHORD”
trick I came up with to test these notes.
Here’s how it works:
STEP #1: If you think you’ve pinpointed the right key of the song, figure out what minor
chord has this note on top (in root position).
EXAMPLE: I think G is my key. What minor chord has G on top? Answer: C
minor (C + Eb + G).
Note: The minor chord should always be in root position. That means, if you’re playing a
C minor chord, C will always be the lowest note.)
STEP #2: After you’ve determined the minor chord that puts the note you’re testing on
top, you’re pretty much done. The other two notes in this minor chord are the tones you
should test your tone against. If you’re note is truly the RIGHT TONE, the other two
notes in this minor chord should sound like garbage! If any of the other two notes sound
better or more harmonious with the song than the note you’ve picked, jump ship! That
means the minor chord trick has determined you didn’t have the right key all along.
Better yet, it has given you the right key.
-Pg 6© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
EXAMPLE: I think F is my key. I’ve hummed it and tapped it repeatedly as I
listen to the song and it seems to work. It seems to be that “common” tone you
always talk about Jermaine. So now, I need to determine which minor chord has
F on top. The answer is Bb minor (Bb + Db + F). 5ow, I will proceed to press
down “Db” to hear if it sounds like the key of my song. 5ext, I will press down
“Bb” to hear if it sounds like the key of my song. If I have, in fact, chosen the
right key, “Db” and “Bb” should sound horrible and way off. If any of them
sounds better, they are probably the TRUE KEY.
TIP: Both minor and major triads have the same notes on top so if you’re a little slow at
figuring out minor, try figuring out the major first. Bb major and Bb minor both put F on
top. C major and C minor both put G on top. So if you’re better at figuring out the major
chord that puts your note on top, do that. HOWEVER, when it comes time to test against
the other two notes, you need to use the notes from the MINOR chord (not the major
chord you may have used to help you out a little bit). THIS IS A MI OR CHORD
TRICK. I hope that makes sense.
WHY DOES THE MI$OR CHORD TRICK WORK?
Quite simple. Essentially what it does is make sure you’re not accidentally choosing the
3rd or the 5th of the true key.
Let’s say the true key was C and because I lack experience, I am accidentally humming E.
At least I’m in the ball park since E is the 3rd tone of C... but this ain’t good enough.
There is only ONE TRUE KEY and if you get it wrong, you’ve messed up everything
that follows. (And as you do this more, you’ll know you’ve got the right key... you’ll just
feel it intuitively. But in the beginning, rely on my tips and tricks).
So back to the example... If I’ve accidentally chosen “E” (because I don’t know any
better), the minor chord trick will eventually correct me.
#1 – So I ask myself, “what minor chord puts E on top?” If I’m a little slow with my
minor chords, I could also ask myself “what major chord puts E on top” since the highest
notes are the same for both major and minor chords. The answer is “A minor.” (even
though I may have used “A major” to help me find the highest note, I must use the notes
of “A minor” to test with or this trick won’t work).
#2 – Since the “A minor” chord is A + C + E, and I’ve already chosen “E” as my original
key, I need to test my answer against “C” and “A.”
Now think about it...
“E” is the 3rd tone of C right?
-Pg 7© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
And because the “3rd” is one of the most mistaken tones, basically the minor chord trick
is pointing me to C, which could be the TRUE key (and according to this example, IT IS!)
“E” is also the 5th of A. Had I mistakenly hummed the 5th of the true key (which is
common as they share many characteristics), this minor chord trick would have unveiled
“A” as the true key.
What if I’m humming the correct key all along?
No problem. The minor chord trick will confirm that you’re right.
Back to my example above... Let’s say I was humming “C” all along and it was indeed
the correct key.
By finding the minor chord that puts C on top, it would lead me to F minor.
The notes of F minor are: F + Ab + C.
Hitting Ab when a song is really in C major will sound horrible. Ab will fail the test.
Hitting F won’t sound as bad as Ab but it will still not work and it should be obvious to
your ears. F fails too.
By testing Ab and F, you’re at least making sure you haven’t fallen victim to the most
common mistakes. If neither Ab nor F works, your answer has passed the test.
And even before you apply my minor chord trick, if you held “C” down and it sounded
good throughout the entire song – if you hummed it and it never clashed, and if you had
unshakeable confidence that it was the key, you were already destined to be right.
EXERCISE: Answer the following questions concerning the “minor chord” trick.
___________________________________________________________________
#2 – You believe a song is in A major. What minor chord are you going to use to test
against your answer?
___________________________________________________________________
-Pg 8© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
Answers:
#1 – Bb minor (Bb + Db + F)
#2 – D minor (D + F + A)
#3 – C# minor (C# + E + G#)
#1 – You believe a song is in F major. What minor chord are you going to use to test
against your answer?
#3 – You believe a song is in G# major. What minor chord are you going to use to test
against your answer?
___________________________________________________________________
EXERCISE: Try to figure out the keys of the following songs on youtube (tip: It’s best
to first hum the “common,” “home base,” tone that comes to you... then attempt to find
that tone on your piano. If in doubt, apply the MINOR CHORD trick to it).
#1 – Jesus Is Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQPKBkW6a1s
#2 – Amazing Grace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJg5Op5W7yw
I think the key is: __________________________________________________
#3 – Man In The Mirror: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbzMsIcp6fI
I think the key is: __________________________________________________
FI$DI$G THE KEY OF A SO$G A$ALYTICALLY
Since you now understand diatonic chords (from Pattern Paradise), you know that certain
chords are most likely to occur on certain tones of the scale.
1st tone – Major chord: In the key of C, a “C major” chord is naturally created off the
1st tone of the scale.
2nd tone – Minor chord: In the key of C, a “D minor” chord is naturally created off the
2nd tone of the scale.
-Pg 9© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
Answers:
#1 – Ab major
#2 – C major
#3 – G major
I think the key is: __________________________________________________
3rd tone – Minor chord: In the key of C, an “E minor” chord is naturally created off the
3rd tone of the scale.
4th tone – Major chord: In the key of C, an “F major” chord is naturally created off the
4th tone of the scale.
5th tone – Major chord: In the key of C, a “G major” chord is naturally created off the
5th tone of the scale.
6th tone – Minor chord: In the key of C, an “A minor” chord is naturally created off the
6th tone of the scale.
7th tone – Diminished chord: In the key of C, a “B diminished” chord is naturally
created off the 7th tone of the scale.
-Pg 10© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
So if you were at your piano and you happened to pick out an “A minor” and “D minor”
chord in a song, there’s a high probability this song is in the key of C major.
Here’s why...
If we plotted out every major key and the chords that are naturally created in each of
those keys, you won’t find many other keys with “A minor” and “D minor” chords in
them.
In fact, only ONE other key has this combination: F major.
F major:
1st tone – F major
2nd tone – G minor
3rd tone – A minor
4th tone – Bb major
5th tone – C major
6th tone – D minor
7th tone – E diminished
So from the analytical point of view, you have narrowed your choices down to C major
and F major.
Obviously, there will be many other chords in the song and if you keep going, you may
run into a G major or G dominant 7 chord.
Since G is the 2nd tone of F major and will usually be minor, this gives us even more
proof that we’re in the key of C (but it doesn’t seal the deal as the 2nd tone is known to
use a major or dominant chord at times to provide more fuel to the 5th tone of the scale).
But let’s say a C major chord comes next and it “feels” like a chord of rest... it feels
stable. If you could end your song on that chord and the audience would know it was the
end of your song, it’s probably the 1-chord. If this is the case, C major is the key.
If C major sounds really unstable and like it needs to resolve somewhere, it’s probably
the 5-chord of F major. If that’s the case, it should resolve to F major and that’s where
you’ll get the same “home” and tension-free feeling I described above.
This, my friend, is the analytical game.
On the next page, I’ve conveniently listed every key and the diatonic chords naturally
created in each of those keys. Study this chart and we’ll do a few exercises to see just
how well you understand the analytical side of determining the key signature.
-Pg 11© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
THE DIATO IC CHORD MATRIX:
C major
F major
Bb major
Eb major
Ab major
Db major
Gb major
B major
E major
A major
D major
G major
1st tone
C maj
F maj
Bb maj
Eb maj
Ab maj
Db maj
Gb maj
B maj
E maj
A maj
D maj
G maj
2nd tone
D min
G min
C min
F min
Bb min
Eb min
Ab min
C# min
F# min
B min
E min
A min
3rd tone
E min
A min
D min
G min
C min
F min
Bb min
D# min
G# min
C# min
F# min
B min
4th tone
F maj
Bb maj
Eb maj
Ab maj
Db maj
Gb maj
Cb maj
E maj
A maj
D maj
G maj
C maj
5th tone
G maj
C maj
F maj
Bb maj
Eb maj
Ab maj
Db maj
F# maj
B maj
E maj
A maj
D maj
6th tone
A min
D min
G min
C min
F min
Bb min
Eb min
G# min
C# min
F# min
B min
E min
7th tone
B dim
E dim
A dim
D dim
G dim
C dim
F dim
A# dim
D# dim
G# dim
C# dim
F# dim
In this small chart lies every diatonic chord you’ll ever play for every major key!
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
1) If you’ve managed to pick out a single major chord in a song, using the analytic
approach, there are three major keys the song is most likely in (including the key note of
the major chord you picked out).
Example: If you’ve picked out a Bb major chord, there are 3 major keys this Bb
major chord could have come from.
#1 – Bb major – You could have hit the jackpot and picked out the 1-chord, which
is the key you’re in.
#2 – F major – The Bb major chord you’ve picked out could be the 4-chord in the
key of F major.
#3 – Eb major – The Bb major chord you’ve picked out could be the 5-chord in
the key of Eb major.
Note: This is not a game of “black” and “white.” Major chords do appear on tones
or degrees other than the 1, 4, and 5. Since playing by ear is a game of trial and
error, you’ll try these keys first. If they don’t work, you’ll move on.
2) The same rule above applies to minor chords. If you’ve managed to pick out a single
minor chord in a song, there are three keys that minor chord could belong to. For example,
“C minor” could belong to Bb major as the 2-chord... Ab major as the 3-chord... or Eb
major as the 6-chord.
-Pg 12© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
3) The more chords you’re able to pick out, the better you’ll be. If you happen to pick out
two different minor chords in a song, now you’ve really increased your chances of
landing the right major key because there will only be TWO keys with both of those
minor chords in them. Go ahead, study the chart above and see if you can find the same
exact minor chords present in more than 2 different keys. You won’t!
4) And if you can pick out 3 minor chords, you’ve just narrowed it down to ONE KEY.
No keys have the same exact minor chords in them. For example, there’s only one key
with “D minor,” “E minor,” and “A minor” chords. It’s C major. Try to find another key
with this same combination. You won’t.
Now let’s do an exercise:
EXERCISE: WHAT MAJOR KEY AM I I ?
Chord 1
Chord 2
Chord 3
Bb minor
F minor
C minor
D major
C major
A minor
C major
F major
G major
B minor
D major
E major
F minor
C minor
Eb major
What Key Am I In?
DETERMI I G THE MELODY & HARMO Y TO A SO G
Often times, the melody can provide a roadmap for what chords to play.
The melody will never clash with the chord. In fact, usually the melody of the song is
kept up top. (In some circumstances, it doesn’t matter... but most of the time, the melody
is preserved as the highest note of the chord).
So just by knowing the HIGHEST OTE, this will rule out many chords.
-Pg 13© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
Answers:
#1 – Ab major
#2 – G major
#3 – C major
#4 – A major
#5 – Ebor Ab major
I have done an amazing video tutorial on how to find the key to any song at
http://www.hearandplay.com/findingkey. Be sure to check it out.
For example, if I’m in the key of C major and I figure out the melody of a song starts on
“E” (which is the 3rd tone of the scale), there are only so many chords that immediately
come to mind:
Because I know a “C major” chord is most likely to start this song (because most
songs start on the 1st degree of the scale), I’m automatically going to assume that
this melody note “E” is simply the “E” from my standard “C major” chord.
In other words, if the C major chord is “C + E + G,” I’m just going to invert
(rearrange) this chord so that “E” is on top --- “G + C + E”. If it works, I’m good
to go.
If it doesn’t work, I’ll say to myself: “What other commonly occurring chords in
this key have “E” in them?
E minor (E + G + B: the chord which naturally occurs on the 3rd tone of
the scale anyway... see CHORDAL COMMA D section). I can
rearrange this chord to put “E” on top (G+B+E).
F major 7 (F + A + C + E): This chord already has “E” on top so if my
other chords don’t work, I can certainly try this one.
-Pg 14© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
D minor 9 (D + F + A + C + E): If you paid attention to the CHORDAL
COMMAND section, you’ll remember that all bigger chords are
composed of smaller chords. So if a major chord usually works, there is a
corresponding minor chord that will probably work too because they
pretty much share the same notes except for the bass. In this case, this D
minor 9 chord is basically the previous F major 7 chord with “D” in the
bass.
But you get the point. The melody can provide clues for the chords (harmony).
PLAYI G MELODY-I TE SIVE SO GS
When it comes to playing traditional hymns, they are very melody-intensive. Everything
is based on the melody. In fact, almost every melody note gets a chord underneath it.
Most of these songs were written to be sung. That’s why they are arranged this way.
Sopranos sing one note. Altos sing another. And tenors sing the bottom.
As musicians, we’re basically just playing what the singers would normally sing when we
play hymns.
On the other end, when it comes to contemporary songs where we don’t play a chord
with every melody note (and there’s more of a sense of chord progressions and
movements at work), the game is totally different.
But first, let’s talk about this idea of “harmonizing melodies” – how to determine and put
chords under your melodies.
-Pg 15© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
How to harmonize melodies:
Let’s say you’re able to pick out a few melody
notes to a song.
The diagram on the left tells you what chords
are most likely to harmonize those melody
notes (while keeping the melody notes on top).
OTE: These are different from the
diatonic chords. These are harmonizing
chords.
These chords allow you to provide harmony to
a melody. In fact, if you’re a choir director,
you could use this information to give different
parts to your choir members.
This diagram illustrates the entire C major
scale being harmonized. Pay close attention to
the highest note.
The melody note “C” is harmonized by a C
major chord in first inversion (E + G + C).
Notice this inversion keeps “C”, the melody,
on top. That is key!
The melody note “D” is harmonized by a D
minor chord in first inversion (F + A + D).
The melody note “E” is harmonized by a C
major chord too, but this time in second
inversion (G + C + E).
The melody note “F” is harmonized by an F
major chord in first inversion (A + C + F).
The melody note “G” is harmonized by another
C major chord in root position (C + E + G).
The melody note “A” is harmonized by F
major, but this time in second inversion
(C + F + A).
And lastly, the melody note “B” is harmonized
by G major in second inversion (D + G + B).
-Pg 16© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
Determining bass of the song
With the last technique, you were looking at the highest note and drawing potential
options from it.
With this technique, you’re clueing in on the bass instead (the lowest note).
Well, I shouldn’t say “instead.” These techniques go together.
Here’s how I do it...
If I’ve already heard the pattern before and have played it a million times, my brain
immediately says “ OTHI G EW HERE.”
At that point, I’ll figure out the key and proceed to play the pattern. Believe it or not,
this happens a lot.
You would think just because a song is new that perhaps the songwriter or composer
came up with something creative. IT IS RARELY THE CASE.
And some genres are worse than other. Gospel, R&B, and pop music do this a lot. I mean,
all genres do but I find R&B singers all sing pretty much the same patterns. I’m always
surprised why listeners don’t get tired of hearing different lyrics over the same chord
patterns... over and over.
But I guess that’s great for the industry! Easy money.
So, most of the time, the patterns are ones I’ve heard and played before. In those cases, I
don’t even have to figure out the bass. Something clicks in my mind and I already know
what’s going on.
WAR I G: You won’t start out this way. The next element (E.E. – “Ear Efficiency”)
will help out.
But really, it’s just a matter of taking the time to stop and listen. When you DO learn
something, stop and listen to how it really sounds. Think in your head about other songs
that sound like this. Try to sing other melodies over the same chords and see if it works.
Just take the time to think about the chords as COLLECTIONS and not as separate
chords.
For example, since we’ve discussed 2-5-1 progressions in past modules and how they
commonly end songs, it would do you well to take the same 2-5-1 progression (like a “D
minor 7” going to a “G7” to a “C major 7”) and simply sing as many song endings while
playing these same chords.
-Pg 17© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
Examples:
“Her fleece was white as snow” [play 2-5-1 in rhythm with this]
“Happy Birthday to you (ending)” [play same 2-5-1 in rhythm]
“5ext time won’t you sing with me” [play same 2-5-1]
“Was blind, but now I see” [play same 2-5-1]
“Than silver and gold” (“Silver and Gold,” Kirk Franklin)” [play same 2-5-1]
“Do not pass me by” (Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior) [play same 2-5-1]
“All through the town” (The wheels on the bus) [play same 2-5-1]
You get the point.
So when I hear the same types of endings over and over, it’s not that my ear is better than
yours... it’s just that I’m now conscious of the fact that these are the same chord patterns
at work regardless of the style of the song... regardless of the genre... regardless of the
rhythm or tempo.
And that’s where you want to get.
But if you can’t hear the patterns in your head yet, you can always try to pick out each
bass note, one by one. This will work in the beginning.
TIPS O$ PICKI$G OUT BASS $OTES
1) Try to establish the key of the song or chord pattern first. Use the strategies we’ve
already covered to pinpoint the key. Once you do that, you’ll have a major scale to work
within. Of course, you want to think in terms of numbers with the tones of the scale.
2) As you’re picking out bass notes, don’t go at it randomly. Think about the tones of the
scale you’ve determined. Think about circular movement and how the “1” usually moves
to the “4”... and how the “2” usually moves to the “5”... and how the “3” usually moves
to the 6, and so on (...it’s a huge circle!)
14
47
73
36
62
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25
51
3) Don’t be discouraged. If you have to rewind the tape, do it. There are many tools
nowadays that will slow down music. In fact, if you open any “mp3” file in Apple
Quicktime (free), you can go to audio/video (A/V) controls and there is a setting for
playback speed. You can actually slow it down to less than 25% of the original speed. If
you’re a Gospel Music Training Center member, you have access to the Hear and Play
Song Learner tool. This also has similar functionality (and more, including being able to
see the notes of the song light up on the screen!)
CO$$ECTI$G BASS $OTES TO PATTER$S
Once you have a collection of bass notes picked out, you’ll probably see a pattern at work.
Maybe it’s a circular pattern (i.e. – “notes moving in the circle of fourths/fifths
direction”), as discussed above.
Maybe the bass pattern is moving up the major scale, one degree at a time (stepwise
motion).
If you didn’t take my advice and find the key of the song FIRST, the bass notes you’ve
picked out should hint at what key you’re in.
For example, if you pick out these notes:
F > A > D > C > F > Bb
(Keep in mind these are separate bass notes you’ve picked out from listening to a record).
Already, in my mind, I’m leaning towards this song being in F major just because it is the
first chord used (and every tone is in the F major scale).
-Pg 19© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
But it could also be in Bb (after all, the last note is Bb and all the notes are in the Bb
major scale, too).
This isn’t always the case though so you can’t always rely on JUST this method. (It’s
impossible to avoid using your “ear”).
But, you can ask yourself these questions to confirm your answer:
1) Are the notes I picked out from the F major scale?
2) Are there any notes that aren’t in the F major scale? And if they aren’t, are they
important chord tones or “rest points” in the song.
PASSI$G CHORDS A$D OTHER $UA$CES
If they are just “passed” over really fast, then this pattern can still be in F major. Songs
usually have passing tones, which help to move us from one chord to another.
And these passing tones aren’t always from the SAME major key. Often times, these
passing tones are half steps above or below the next bass note, which is usually IN THE
SCALE.
So if I’m in the key of F and notice the bass pattern: F > A > Eb > D... well the “F,” “A,”
and “D” are surely tones of the F major scale... but where did the Eb come from? It’s not
in the scale.
ANSWER: It’s a passing chord to make our pattern more interesting. Since Eb is so close
to D, it provides a nice push to D. Therefore, Eb shouldn’t be seen as an important chord
tone... especially if it is only used for a split second... the main chord tones are still from
the key of F and that’s what matters.
I think a lot of people get confused when they are picking out bass notes because they
find notes from all over the place (and that’s perfectly fine).
If songs only used the 7 notes from the same scale, THINGS WOULD BE BORING.
You have to borrow from other keys and add passing and neighboring tones and chords
to spice things up. As musicians, though, we don’t get confused.
For example, we still see this as a “2-5-1” in the key of C:
D minor 7 > G7 > Db major 7 > C major 7
-Pg 20© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
Of course, D is the 2nd tone of the scale, G is the 5th tone of the scale and C is the 1st tone
of the scale (thus “2-5-1” pattern) but where does the Db in between come from? It’s not
in the C major scale!
You’re right. But it’s used as a passing chord to bring us one half step down to C major 7.
So instead of going from G7 directly home to C major 7, we stop at the gas station on the
way to get some more “FUEL.” That Db major 7 chord just provides creative fuel, even
though we could have surely gotten home on the tank of gas we had.
So when you’re picking out bass notes and relating them to patterns, you’re looking at the
BIG PICTURE... not necessarily every little note that pops up.
THE BIG PICTURE IS THE MAI PATTER AT WORK.
3) Don’t wanna confuse you but let’s go back to our example in F major for this last
question I’d ask myself. I’d ask: “If I press down any F on my piano while listening to
this song, does it fit? Does it sound like it would be the key?”
As we discussed earlier, when you find the key of a song (using your ear), there’s just
this level of confidence when you hit the right KEY versus a close match or the wrong
key.
The “real” key can usually be sounded over just about any chord or verse or section of
the song and it’ll work. Again, it’s more about the “big picture.”
I did a video tutorial about this at http://www.hearandplay.com/findingkey.
These are just a few tips to help you in this area...
APPLYI G CHORDS TO BASS OTES
80% of the time, the diatonic chords you’ve learned in past modules will work. That is, if
your bass note moves from the 1st tone of the scale to the 6th tone, and from the 6th tone to
the 4th tone... most likely, you be playing a major chord on the 1st tone, a minor chord on
the 6th tone, and a major chord on the 4th tone.
You’ll need to use your ear to figure out what kind of major or minor chords are at work.
It could be anything from a major triad to a major 7th or major 9th --- a minor triad to a
minor 7th, minor 9th, or minor 11th. If you aren’t totally obsessed with finding the exact
voicing and you’re sure it’s a major chord, feel free to pull out your favorite voicing and
most of the time, it will sound just fine. As long as you got the right quality (major vs
minor vs augmented vs diminished), you’ll be fine.
-Pg 21© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
There are times when diatonic chords are substituted for other chords. Maybe instead of
playing a minor chord on the 6th tone, the composer decides to put a major chord there or
perhaps a dominant chord. Maybe even an altered chord (like a dominant 7 #9 #5, one of
my favorites).
That’s fine! You’ll just have to use your ear to know that:
1) This isn’t a diatonic chord here so I need to get to work figuring out what it really is
2) This is probably a (choose quality): major | minor | dominant | diminished | augmented
| altered chord.
It’s perfectly fine to go down the list until you’ve determined the right chord.
Another tip:
USE THE MELODY!
The bass got you to the promise land. Now the melody can help you further filter out
what chord might be needed.
If you’ve determined your melody is D, try to think of all the different chords that might
go with this bass note that have D in them (and better yet, “D” on top).
BUILD YOUR REPERTOIRE
Your growth should be exponential in that the more you learn songs and play patterns,
you should be adding them to your collection and able to recognize them when they
occur again.
That’s why the number system is so important.
Because as you learn songs in all 12 keys, without the number system, things can get very
fuzzy and you may not realize you already know the pattern in one key that you’re trying
to learn in another.
That’s the limitation of thinking in terms of “letters.” Letters confine you to one key. The
number system is only in one key --- the universal key.
Regardless of whether you’re playing in Bb major or D major, by thinking in terms of
numbers as you’re playing songs, you’ve just taken these keys from their respective
“worlds” and put them into a universal galaxy where they can be related and compared to
one another. Too few musicians think this way and it ends up with them not knowing and
harnessing the musical power they really have.
-Pg 22© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
CO CLUSIO :
Remember:
Notes create scales.
Scales create chords.
Chords create progressions.
Progressions create songs.
This is the roadmap for an ear musician.
You’ve gotten your scales and numbers down in Fundamental Factory.
You’ve gotten your chords down pat in Chord County.
You’ve gotten your progressions and patterns covered in Pattern Paradise.
And in Song Station, you’ve learned everything from finding the key, using the melody
to find chords, using the bass to determine patterns, and even how passing tones work.
Needless to say, you have what it takes to start mastering the song learning process.
Now, your job is to bring the ear up to par to hear the things you’ve learned on the
theoretical side. Playing by ear, to me, is where knowledge and ear-training collide. If
you can get those to meet in the middle, you’ve got it made!
-Pg 23© 2010. HearandPlay.com. All Rights Reserved
Notes
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Notes
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Notes
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Notes
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