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I'm playing a song that has the following progression
Asus2 Csus4 G
What key am I in?
If someone asked me, I would have said, "If you can play an F chord, then it`s Am or C. If you can play an F# then it is either Em of G."
However, I am obviously wrong because, neither sounds correct.
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The notes in the chords are all white keys (no sharps or flats). But since you start on A, maybe your are in one of the "modes" of the C major scale. (The mode that starts on the 6th tone is the A Aeolin -- natural minor)
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Robb,
The chords you list are not really key-defining because they have an element of ambiguity associated with them. To identify the key, it's necessary to know what melody is being played against the chords.
What notes are in the melody?
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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In playing this...where do you feel it will resolve to for the last chord?
The last chord of a song is 99.9% of the time the root.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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I'm playing a song that has the following progression
Asus2 Csus4 G
What key am I in?
If presented with only those three chords, the key of C Major, as a turnaround is the most likely answer. This progression "wants" to resolve to C. Try playing the three chords and adding a C Major at the end. However, this may or may not be the key of the song in question, as it could also represent an internal modulation in some cases, if viewed as a set of substitions for the ii-V-I in C. To find out the Key Signature that the entire song itself might be written in requires more information, all of the chords involved in the entire song progression order. Typically for the greater majority of Western Music, the very last Bass note (lowest note heard is the Bass note regardless of instrument playing it) will be the Root of the Key that the song would be written in, with of course some very few exceptions. --Mac
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@Noel: So far the melody is centered around e d c & a.
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@Mac: if it were in the key of C this would be a VI I V progression, would it not? Assuming the Asus2 is a sub for Am and Csus4 is a sub for the C. The progression does sound as if it wants to be resolved to C (or [Am]).
I guess we have eliminated G / Em
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.
This sounds to me like one of those chord sequences that sounds great on acoustic guitar. Lots of open strings, interesting resonances and dissonances, and no particular key center.
Are you doing this on acoustic guitar. I love this kind of sound in a folkie-dokie kind of setting. Fun to play and to sing along with. Not so easy to play along with a piano or other instuments.
I agree with the earlier comments: the prevalence of white-key notes says its in the key of C. The lack of a clear resolution to a C Major tonic, as Mac described, says its a mode of some kind. I bet these changes would go well with a C maj pentatonic melody.
I would not be too concerned with defining the key. Have fun and see where it goes.
.
Last edited by flatfoot; 09/16/13 09:01 PM.
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Ah, yes. If there was a "g" in the melody I would be using the C major pentatonic scale. There is a "g" in the bass line that I have been playing with.
Actually, although I usually play acoustic guitar, I am writing this on piano and have played the melody on my electric. I've also played around with a synth appreggio. It does sound rather modal.
I think I will take your advice and just run with the groove. We will see where it goes.
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@Mac: if it were in the key of C this would be a VI I V progression, would it not? Assuming the Asus2 is a sub for Am and Csus4 is a sub for the C. The progression does sound as if it wants to be resolved to C (or [Am]).
I guess we have eliminated G / Em Notice my wording. "A set of substitutions for the ii-V7-I" At that point, the Asus2 has more notes in common with the Dm (ii of C) than it does with the vi, since the "sus" actually means that the chord does not have to imply either 3rd, flatted for minor or the Maj 3rd. So even though the bass note is not a D, the chord spelling, A, E, B, can look and sound mighty like a D6/9 here. I don't think it matters much how you view that chord, though, viewing it as the vi chord would work, I prefer reducing to the two-five for reasons of better understanding what notes can be selected to play over those chords. And, of course, I do indeed think like a jazz musician about these things, which can indeed make things too rich for the other genres. At that point, we are required to exercise good taste for the particular performance. In other words, if it works for you in the particular by thinking of that chord as an A minor, the sixth, by all means do so. --Mac
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