If we want to learn to be able to play well in all 12 keys, it is helpful to be able to play a certain song in all 12 keys for practice purposes.

Learning a song requires learning the chords and melody.

For the chords, if you think in terms of numbers (roman numerals or Nashville system) then it becomes easy to remember the chords to a song in all 12 keys. For example, we all likely know the chords to a blues using numbers
1 4 1 / 4 / 1 / 5 4 1 /
Since you know the numbers for a blues, you're ready to play the chords to a blues in all 12 keys.

Then there's the melody. How do you remember or a learn a melody in all 12 keys? For example, how would you learn to play the melody for somewhere over the rainbow? Would you think of the numbers of the melody relative to the key (ie know the number of very melody note relative to the song key) , or relative the current chord, or what?

I found a post on a forum that ha a very good method that I hadnt thought about before, from the great jazz educator David Baker.

Here's the post:

"I went to the Aebersold camp this summer and had the theory class with David Baker. On the last day of camp, he announced that we would all be able to play at least 5 tunes in any key within the hour. I never would have believe that a class of 75 would be able to instantly transpose the melody to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in any key. His method relies on knowing the intervals of the melody notes and knowing the functions of the chords. For example, the first couple notes of SOTR are: Starting Note, up an octave, down a halfstep, down a major third, up a whole step, up a whole step, up a half step. If you can learn to think of melodies and chords in this way, transposing becomes a piece of cake."

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I'm going to try that method in next practice session. Try to remember the melody to Somewhere over the Rainbow, by remembering the intervals only. If it works, it should be much easier to play that melody in all 12 keys.





Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.