|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259
Expert
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259 |
Does such an animal exist? For audio files, I've just been plunking keys on the piano until I figure out the key. I'm not a piano player and I would rather have a faster way of finding the correct key the tune is in. If only I had perfect pitch..... Is there any software that does this? Thanks for any info.
Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,869
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,869 |
Its really not that difficult to do by ear. I think you will find this faster than any software. The key of a passage or piece is the note that 'closes' or ends the piece. Most songs end on a troic chord that is a chord which has the key note as the root - unless you get that 'left hanging' feeling its going to be the root. The melody too comes to a satsfying end on the key note. Be careful often a song can change key - particularly at the bridge (the second 'different' section).
There is a good ear training software called Earmaster, it has a free trial download or used to.
If you think you have the key figured out and you find you dont, try the note a fifth down. Its quite easy to mistake the fifth for the root.
Zero
Win 11 64, Asus Rog Strix z390 mobo, 64 gig RAM, 8700k
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
Quote:
Does such an animal exist? For audio files, I've just been plunking keys on the piano until I figure out the key. I'm not a piano player and I would rather have a faster way of finding the correct key the tune is in. If only I had perfect pitch..... Is there any software that does this? Thanks for any info.
Stan
Absolutely! It's called Band in a Box or Real Band. Both have the Audio Chord Wizard-ACW. It can be hit or miss with the actual chords but it's very good at giving you a road map of the song and the bass notes and like Zero said that last bass note in the song is usually the key. Also click on the "Ear Training" icon in Biab. It's very good at helping you hear intervals and then the key itself. It's true that literal perfect pitch is a gift however you can get very close with practice.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
Quote:
Does such an animal exist? For audio files, I've just been plunking keys on the piano until I figure out the key. I'm not a piano player and I would rather have a faster way of finding the correct key the tune is in. If only I had perfect pitch..... Is there any software that does this? Thanks for any info.
Stan
Hi Stan,
Take a look at the last note of the sheet first. Especially the bass or lowest note written.
That will be the note of the key signature 99% of the time.
How to find the key if no sheet available and you are listening? -- Start concentrating on only the lowest notes you hear, typically the bass. Then try to match the bass note with your instrument.
The bass is the foundation, so it is worth its weight in gold to start training your ears to listen to the bass part in order to get not only the key signature, but eventually you should start hearing the chord structures as well, along with the chord changes.
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259 |
Thanks for those good points. I've been trying to get the key by just listening to sections after the intro. However, as Zero says, there could be key changes during the song that I could miss--been here done that, too. As to ACW, it just hasn't worked for me. Maybe it's because there hasn't been enough data in the songs I chose to use it on. I've read many posts wherein folks haven't had good luck with it. Maybe it works better on audio files than it does on midi? It certainly won't hurt me to learn to do it better by ear and maybe it's better that way. I'll try that last note trick for sure, too. Again, thanks for your comments.
Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 224
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 224 |
I play guitar and usually I just pluck the notes on the third string one by one going up and down. WHen You hit the note that is the key of the song you will know that it is right,it just seems so. Sometimes I can get a bit mixed up as the firth of the scale will have a lot of tone in common with the root, usually takes me less than 10 secs to get the key of a song on my guitar just by using the above method and I have a bad ear for knowing intervals that kind of thing, but finding the key is not that difficult usually.
The above method will work for backing a singer too, just tell them to start singing and go up your third string of guitar until you find note that tonal wise fits in with what they are singing(will work on other instruments as well as paino)
joe
joe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
Quote:
Maybe it works better on audio files than it does on midi?
Stan, it's called the Audio Chord Wizard. It won't work with midi. Biab or RB has had for years the the midi chord wizard. With biab you have to tell it in the midi import window to extract the chords while RB does it automatically. Depending on how the complex the song is the chords can still be off either way. Many times it's best to pick and choose the tracks to apply it to. If the piano part is complex, maybe the guitar part is simpler so try just guitar and bass. Some files the string section is the simpler part. These things are decent tools but nothing replaces your ears.
Many times if you're having problems with a song you can find the chords on the internet just by typing in the name of the song and the word "chords" then load the chords into Biab. Of course these are just things some random person posted on a website, they could still be wrong.
I'm sure you know you can change keys easily in Biab once you have the chords in. If you really have to, listen to the recording of the song with some headphones from whatever source while playing back Biab using your studio monitors and adjust the key sig until you find it. Of course if the recording is not exactly in tune and is "in the cracks" that can really mess with your head.
Again, it's really all about your ears, practice using Biab's ear training tool and none of these potential problems will matter.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259 |
Thanks. I know that it's an audio chord wizard. I forgot to mention that I saved the midi to audio before using the chord wiz. Yep, I've had my hear messed with using some recordings. Given the amount of time I spend on determining the key, I'm not sure the ear training tool will help much, but I'll give it a try. Appreciate your help.
Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
pgmusic uses a much different system for "Get Chords from MIDI file" routine.
Since MIDI data already contains the actual notenames, it is a lot different from trying to get a machine to decipher the complex waveforms of audio file and then analyze and convert to pitch from frequency, then take all of that and analyze and convert to chords.
The Audio Chord Wizard works best on simpler songs, attempts to use it on jazz, etc. songs where the chords often have extensions - and the bass moves at slightly different times - can have not so great results. ACW can get confused rather easily when confronted with these things. It also likes a nice CLEAN audio file as well. The level of the file seems to be as important as anyting else, too. Sometimes if the level is too high, ACW has trouble. Likewise if the level is too low. There's a Sweet Spot and it changes from recording to recording.
Sometimes finding a good MIDI file to download and using that Get Chords command can yield the chord for a song faster - and more accurately.
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,125
Posts801,152
Members40,058
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean